Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-24
THEGREAT DIRECTUM
HOW HE TRoTTEo HIS WAY TO
WORLDWIDE FAME.
The Prize OF the Stallion Champion hip
Now HIS. May he Vigorously Con-
tested His Pedigree.
New York Herald.)

| NNh 'h"utSt performance, IN 10, IL
has taken more than third OF a century
OF careful breeding and constant effort to
! reduce that record from 2:2S to the POI
which was hung out at Fleetwood Park
| last week, when Directum flashed past the
| wire. Further reductions may be expected
but with the present record so nearly APP
preaching what must be considered as
| the ultimate speed possibility OF the trOt-
ter they are likely TO be by fractions Of
seconds and at long intervals, unless In
deed, az many people expect. the present
| champion lowers his mark of 2:07 In one
! grand effort TO figure that threatens
the supremacy of Nancy Hanks
Dlrectum, the young aspirant 10 the
highest trotting honor was seen and criti-
cally judged by many thousands Of New
Workers last week What he did at
Fleetwood fully justified the claims made
On his behalf earlier in the present sea-
son. What he may yet do is uncertain,
but everything points to him as the
greatest rival Nancy Hanks has ever
| known, and there are few well-posted
horsemen who doubt that he would beat
the queen in race.
AN UNPROMIsING COLT.
He was bred by MIR. John Green, Of
! Dublin. Cal, and il supposed TO be the
/ property of that gentleman, though Mr.
I Monroe Salisbury owns his trotting quail
| ties. Mr. Salisbury said a few days
! since: when Directum was 2-year
! old he was such a miserable looking lit
| tie runt that / thought he would never
| trot a bit But" he added, 81 would like
| nothing better than 10 get match be-
| tween him and Nancy Hanks" and the
veteran horseman sighed as the lmproba-
| bilty Of such a match was suggested TO
| him.
| He Is 10 start probably, next Thursday
| ut Washington Park, Chicago, and after
| n rest OF ten days since his fast work Of
| last week, he should turn that exception
! ally fast track in "A way that Will reduce
his record materially. There Is nothing
| but the chance of accident or sickness
/ that leaves any doubt as to this, among
| those who have watched his recent per-
| fOrmances.
The champion stallion Old not start
in his yearlng or 2-year-old form His
in his yearling or two 2-year-old form. His
Mich, August II, 1892. In a 3-year-old
purse for $1,000. Nassar won the first heat
| In 2:Z7 IA. and Directum the next three
in 2:23, 2:2S IL and 2E 1-2. -Four days
| later at Chicago. ILL.,, same-class ana purse
he beat four others in 2:23 IL and 2:23,
and began TO attract attention az prom
| Using 3-year-old. At Independence,
Iowa. August 18th, In a three-year-old
purse OF 5000. he encountered the sup
posed 10 be invincble Kentucky Union,
by Aberdeen, and Directum only secured
third money I'm a 5-heat race In which
two heats were trotted in 219 IL. At the
same track. September Q he won purse
OF $1,000 for 3-year-olds, beating two
others in 2:22 IA. 2:2l, Pal and showed
that he was an improving colt. -Four days
later. at Fort Wayne, Ind, in q 500 purse
TO- lie no
Ia, 2:23 and 219 81. and entered the 2.2O
list At Richmond, Ind, September 4.
he won a S-year-Od purse OF 500 beat
ing two others In 2l6 81. 2:22 IA. 220 IL.
September Z. on the Terre Haute, Ind,
track. he started in field of eleven
horses of all ages for a purse of $1,000 for
the 2:20 class, and was badly beaten for
the first time being distanced In the first
heat. Greenleaf winning the race In 2l5 IA,
214 IA. 213 IA.
A NEW RECORD FOR YOUNGSTERS.
He next appeared at Lexington, Ky,
October s. in stake for 3-year-
olds OF 5000 in which he beat five very
speedy ones in 2I7 81 21S1-2 PISA and
October Il. at the same track. in j.
year-old stake OF 81. 800. he defeated Car.
2J2l-2 Bellehower. PIP ga, and Sabina,
2l5I-2. in the splendid time Of 213 IA
213 IL. the first heat being the best time
to date for a 3year-old In race.
Still hon0rs awaited him at Nashville
Tenn, October 18th. when he started In
field OF twelve for a purse OF $500, for
9-year-olds, and among them was
Kentucky Union. the only trotter of his
age that had ever won race from him.
She lay up the first heat and Directum
won in 2l5. In the second and third
heats Kentucky Union gave him terri
bic fight but he won both in az 21l H.
and the latter times remains the pest rec
ord for 3-year-old in IA race. An
unimportant victory at Birmingham, Ala,
November II. closed his trotting career
for 1892. He had started eleven times
won nine races and had been beaten only
bv Kentucky Union, whom he afterwards
defeated, and by the 6-year-old Green
leaf. Purses and stakes won by him
amounted to s19.Sl5.
A GREAT HORSE THIS YEAR.
Prior TO his trotting in New York, d.
rectum had started only once In 1893. July
q. at Cleveland, Ohio, he attempted To
beat the record of Maud s., POS "a, over
the same track, to an old-fashioned sulhy
This young horse went to the half IN
I:O4 81 but found the clumsy vehicle
great handicap on the last half and could
complete the mile in 21i IL only.
What he did at the recent Fleetwood
tail. Still there certain Poih's
that the casual reader may
columns OF the Herald still there are GER
tain points that the casual reader may
have overlooked. He was foaled In 1897
and IS consequently at what is considered
the most disappointing age. for +-year-
olds are rarely as good as they nave peeh
early or as they become later. Yet TINS
horse, after winning the free-for-all, last
" In ha
on record. was able TO win in the Z12
class on Saturday in straight heats In
the fifth heat in the first of these races
he trotted the arduous third quarter,
with its hill, In thirty-two seconds, anu
finished under pull In 2Os "a On inc
following Monday this wonderful young
horse trotted the same track In 2:O'' ana
his half in 100 IA. and was the fastest
ever shown in public, Examined closely
as he walked back past the judges stand
after this grand performance his eye was
bright as ever, he moved easily and his
brea thing was free az II he had merely
logged in 100. MIR. Salisbury told me the
next day that he showed no Ill effects from
his severe work. ate as heartily as ever
and seemed ready now for another go
against time or any other tough compeu-
tor.
His blood lines are or rare excellence,
and IL Is likely tndt MI NiVVH
better than he knew" when ne Dreu
Stemwinder to Director. His sire, Direc-
tor. 2l7. was the great race horse OF
1883 In that year he swept through the
grand circuit like a western cyclone dc-
featlng all corners and winning purses
amounting 10 more than $4,000. Through
his sire, Directum draws the blood or
Rysdyk's Hambletonian, Seely's Amerl-
can star and Mamprino Chief. with
dash OF the pacing element. Directums
dam. Stemwinder. by Venture, has
trottlng record OF 2:3l, and is also the
dam of EIectrina, 2:2o. Venture. her Sire
has trotting record OF 2:27h, but Is
thoroughbred horse, by Williamson's Bel
mont. son OF American Boy, and his dam
Was Miss Mostyn, by American boy, Jr
These thoroughbreds. Belmont and Arneri-
can Boy, showed pronounced trotting
proclivities. Mr.. Jam,s c. Rowland,
well-known Orange county ihorseman'
WAS familiar with both OF them many
years ago, and says that either could
trot better tran S-minute gait. Ii
would seem that this strong infusion or
thoroughbred. while It has not marred the
trotting action o. propensity from Direc-
tor. Il has impaired much OF the resoiute
courage which distinguishes the present
ot,o TIM