Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-10-02
NANCY HANKS.
history OF tho Famous Trotting Marc.
she Has the BIuest of Blue Blood in
Her veinA


History OF the Famous TrottIng Mare.
She Has the f3Iuest Of Blue Blood in
Her Veins
Nancy Hanks, the fastest trotter in
the world, is a brown mare, foaled In
1886. She was born in the purple and
her blood is Of the purest and most val
ned. Her sire, Happy Medium, was by
Rysdick's Hambletonian, dam Princess,
by Andrus' Hsmbletonian; second dam,
the Wilcox mare, by Burdick's En-
gineer; he son OF Engineer, by import
ed Messenger. Happy Medium was
bred by r.. +. Galloway, Sufferns, n.
Y. As six-year-old, in 1869, he OBJ
tanned his best record (2:32H) in race
at Patterson, n. j., and in 1871 was pur-
chased by Mr.. Robert Steele, OF Phila-
delphia, who kept him in the stnd I'M
Til 1879, when he became the property
of w. T. Withers, and went to the
famous Fairlawn Stock Farm, Lexing-
ton, KY, where he died full of years
and honors, in 1888. He was a small
horse, beautifully formed, and as sire
ranks third in the number Of his get In
the 800 list, Electioneer and George
Wilkes only exceeding him.
The dam of Nancy Hanks is Nancy
Lee, by Dictator; her dam Sophie, by
Edwin Forest. Dictator was a full
brother to Dexter (2:1715), in his day
the greatest OF trotters. Dictator was
by Rysdick's Ham bletonian, dam Clara,
by Seely's American Star, combina-
tion of blood that has produced a large
number of the best trotters. he was the
sire OF Jay Eye See, 2:10, and OF Direct
or, alt, who in turn got Direct, 2:O6
pacing; Margaret s., 2:123S, and many
other great horses.
Nancy Hanks was bred by Mr.. IL.
Boswell on farm near Lexington, Ky.
MIR. Boswell was not especially horse
man, but, like most farmers in the blue
grass region, he had we'll bred trotting
mare, and in 1856 she produced the
brown filly now famous as Nancy
Hanks. Nancy was not given the early
training or care that she would have
had in a great trotting establishment.
Her first education was at the hands OF
an inexperienced young man.. Entrich'
entirely unknown as 3 trainer.
She made her debut at Harrodsburg,
KY, July 81, 1899, when she beat a
good field of three-year olds In 2:274,
2:251l. 2:2515, losing the first heat to
Bonnie Wilmore, in 2:2S%. week
later at Danville, KY, she beat Bonnie
Wilmore and Abbie V. in straight
heats; time, 2:26%, 2:2413, 2:26A. In
September she won race at Eminence,
KY, in slow time, and at Lexington,
KY, she easily defeated good party;
best time, 2:264. In October she won
the three-year-old stake at the Ken
lucky BREEDERS Association, beating
Bonnie Wilmore and CampbelPs Elec-
tioneer In straight heats; time, 2:26A,
2:229l and 2:261S. At Shelbyville, KY,
she walked over for three-year- OLD
stake, and at Sharpsburg, KY, she
scored another easy victory, closing
the season without defeat and with
loss OF but one heat, which was the trst
in her maiden record.
In her four-year-old form she was
very successful, and last year she was
only unsuccessful in attempts to beat
time. She beat Margaret s., at Chica-
go, in straight heats, the last one IN
2:124, and at Independence, Iowa, she
beat Allerton and Margaret s. in 2:l2,
2:123l, 2:12, aud at Buffalo she beat
Belle Ham!n in a mile dash in 2:1619.
At Richmond, Ind, September 30, over
regulation track, she gained record
of 300 against time.
This year she has made several sue
cessful attempts, trotting at various
times in 2:O9, 2:074, 2:O54 and 2:O7.