The morning call., 1893-06-04

and the holder to-day Of one worlds record
that has never been broken Lady Suffolk
is deserving of more than passing mention.
She was gray mare, f"aled in 1888 bv
Engineer Second, 3, grandson of i'm
ported MESSENGER, the gray thorough bred
from whum all our great trotters are
descended. Lady Suffolk's dam was also
granddaughter of old Messenger by Don
QuiXote. the Lady WAS a great cani-
uaigner Owned the greater part of her
life by man who cared for her only as a.
winner of purses, and who worked her
pretty much on the same plan as we read
some Southern overseer, worked the hap
less slaves under their control. her career
of active usefulness extended over much
longer period of years than trottlng horses
are now generally called upon 10 CAM
paign. She was 20 years old when she
rotted her last race, and previous to that
she had won eighty-three races
Doubtless equine winners of to-day
would turn up their aristocratc noses at
the purses won by Lady Suffolk. Imagine
Nancy Hanks. for instance, trotting three
heats at her best speed to win S11. That
modest sum would hardly buy blanket
for the present queen OF the track. Times
were different, then, however. David
Bryant, the man who owned Lady Suffolk
during the years of her active life, bought
her as four-year-old for SIP 80, and the
party from whom he purchased her had
only paid $50 for her as yearling
1t was on the 18th of October, 1914, at
Beacon course, New Jersey, that Lady
Suffolk beat the mystical 80. that up TO
that time had never been eQuaed and
which was then regarded as the ultimate
limit of equine speed. There were three
Contestants in this race-the Lady, Beppo
and Oneida Chief-two local equine sprin-
ters who have since faded from view. The
race was trotted to saddle. as were all
matches in those DAYS, and the Lady won
three straight heats in 2:26 2:27 and 2:27.
Several years later at The Union course.
Long Island. she trotted to harness in IS.
beating 2:30 in harness for the first time
and leaving 2:2S as the harness record of
the world
As before indicated Lady Suffolk is the
holder of one record that has never been
beaten, probably never will be, as we are
not likely to have a backward step in the
conduct of our races and trot matches un-
der the saddle again. This record was
made at the Beacon course in 1910. four
years before 2:30 had been eQuaed. when
she beat the bay gelding, Dutchman, in
race of two-mile heats 10 saddle in so
and 03%.
The year after Lady Suffolk had made
her then sensational record of 2:26, the
great mares successor to the equine throne
was foaled. Of Flora Temple it is hardly
necessary to speak. Tie facts of her life
are familiar to every lover of trotting stock
It is matter Of history that she was head
strong, fiery, nervous creature. who defied
breakers and trainers, and was pronounced
worthless, on accounts of her uncertain
temper, up to the time when, as a 5-year-
old, she fell into the hands of George E.
Perrine of New York. She was put on
the track soon after that but. while evil
IDENTIFY speedy, did not particularly distin-
guish herself, save as nervous, uncertain
animal, who could trot. but could not be
relied upon to do So She Travelled in slow
company, however. and won a number of
races, and by the fall of 1858 had made a
record of 2:27 For the next six years she
reigned queen of the track, defeating a
number of famous campaipners, and old
turfmen still talk with reminiscent gusto of
the great match with Ethan Allen, when
she defeated that noted trotter in 2:25.
2:27R. 2:27k.
On October Is. 1859. just ten years after
Lady Suffolk trotted ner 2:2S in harness.
and fourteen years after the Lady had
first beaten 2:30. Flora Temple electrified
the while racing world by trotting mile
in 2:19A. beating 2:20, which had, after
Lady Sutfo!k's feat, come To be the limit
which horSemen were convinced no horse
could exceed. 2:19% Is yerv respectful bic
trotting today. The horse who can make
that time can hold up his head in very
good company, but at that stage of devel-
opnent of the trotting horse it was phe-
nOmenal, and Flora Temple we'll merited
the place that has been given her in the
equine temple of fame.
One of my earliest recollections as a child
is of seeing IN the sit ing-room of a coun-
try inn in rural. New York a litboprarh of
one of Flora Temples last and most fam
Gus victories. This race was trotted in
1861. and the great mare's opponent was
her old enemy, Ethan Allen, who, on this
occasion, and as shown in the lthograph.
had running mate. The Green Noun
tain hero won the first heat in PIX, but