The sun., 1892-01-15
Senator Stanford on Arion and Two
Minutes.

Senator Stanford on Arion and Two
Minutes.
In Washington despatch to The SUS Of
yesterday the Hon. LELAND STANFORD.
senior Senator from California and the
greatest trotting horse breeder on the
globe. made. We believe. his first forecast
upon future speed. in connection with the
sale Of his $4,000 colt. Arion. to Mr..
FORBES OF Boston. Mr.. FORBES is citizen
of the old Commonwealth OF Massachusetts,.
He possesses perhaps the grandest estate
in the Union in the great and beautiful
island OF Naushon. He still calls the Puri-
tan. the craft which. next to the America.
commands the most lasting admiration OF
our yachtsmen. his own. And the feetest
trotter now professionally on the turf
Nancy Hanks. is his besides. To become
also the owner Of Arion enlarges his crown
OF distinction to the size that would be
called brilliant IL worn by any gentleman
OF the country.
But to return to Senator STAyFoRD's
prediction. 1t may be true upon the main
point, namely. that we are not to see the
two-mirute trotter: but this Is accompa-
MED with so faulty an estimate OF Arion as
to seriously shake Senator SrANFoRp's
credit as prophet. "1f ever horse trots
a mile in two minutes" says he. "Arion
will be the horse The Senator's
Judgment as horseman is evidently
paralyzed by the brilliancy OF his success
as breeder. Seeing in Arion. the bright
est star OF the Palo Alto sky. product
so far beyond even his own widest ex-
- To- I.l
haps for sheer weariness from constant and
ever more surprising success, to rest in the
idea that breeding can go no further. The
American trotter. complete. improved TO
the last stage Of perfection. is here. The
limit OF speed is reached. II Arion cannot
go the mile In two minutes. reflects his
former owner. the feat Is beyond hope.
The moro sanguine philosophers upon the
two-minute trotter will find encouragement
In the precise reason which makes Senator
STANFORD incline to despond. The simple
fact that the latter entertains. however
vaguely. the notion that Arion Is within
striking distance Of two minutes. is calcu-
lated before all other effects to rouse the
feeling that the goal will be reached at last.
For. speaking plainly. to imagine that
a colt Of to-day may be the horse
for al! time. and that We have already
reached the end % the trotter's evo-
luton. is theory opposed to too strong
reasoning to remain worthy OF a Sec
ond thought Ar:on is but the second
generation from the horse from which the
science and cultivation Of trotters tegan in
its present intelligence and force. His dam
is in the fourth generation only. To sup
a ha Ia
unadapted. and undeveloped elements which
go TO make up this descent the ideal result
has been attained. and that Arion is the
best possible. IS to deny every known fact in
the history of universal breeding. AS
matter Of scientific truth the cultivation
Of the trotter is in its infancy.
There is still another aspect Of Arion's
pedigree calculated to raise the hope Of
seeing eventually the two-minute mile per-
formed The dispass!ona:e observer will
find a peculiar cause for hopefuness in
what the anti-thorouchbrei theorists re-
gard as q striking illustration OF their ar
eument-Arion's very great strength in
trotting blood as distinguished from the
blood o! the runner. Il is undenable that
there is in the thoroughbred quality of
endurance beyond competition from any
other source. Many breeders have shown.
and most consp!cuously Senator STANFORD.
that the racing blood can. TO disputab!e
extent. he successfully blended with what
we know as the trotters. But IL from al
most pure trotting lines there can come
horse Of Arions calihre. why. the help OF
the thoroughbred infusion is still in re-
serve. So when that can be added here
after in the most effective quantities and at
the happiest moments to the lines OF de-
scent from Arion and from others brought
upon the same principle as he to still
higher development. how reasonable be-
comes the supposition that the gap remain
ing between the powers we have up to date
and those OF the two-minute flyer will be
filed for the final triumph!