The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-11
GOSSIP OF THE TROTTERS
MONROE SALISBURY EXPECTS BET
TER TIME BY ALIT.
The Mare VIII BE Kept In Condition for
Nert ssason-Couid Bsst D,rectum tho
Best Dsy He Ever Saw.

As the opportunities for sensational o1a,,
yerv limited, the various records made
during the closing eyenttul season are
practically safe TIL another year, a re-
capitulatlon shows ina nnite .n ecineeds anu VI
thing ever before known In the history
OF the sulky. -
Not only has the once visionary two
minute goal come plainly to view. since
"a second and half is all that separates
| the nresent champion from IT, but the av-
Erage sueed at both gaits has Increased
10 an extern. that borders on the marvel
Ar the commencement OF the present
decade but one trotter. Maud s., and
three PAGERS, Johnston, Roy wilkes. and
Hal Pointer had scored below Nv, Whlle
only one OF this quartet, Hal Pointer,
had won his spurs in actual contest.
Inere were five additions 10 TINS small
band OF performers whose nlght was rep
resented by units during 1881, and, strange
to say four OF them were tTotters. THIS
formidable barrier suffered much wider
breach in 1892, when the ingenuity OF man
lessened the load TO be drawn by adapting
the safety wheel TO the sulky, and the
PAGERS placed the balance to their credit
again by contributing twelve 70 the list
with marks faster than 210, while butte
three trotters took similar advantage of
the new vehicle that season.
Last year added twenty-four recruits,
the PAGERS outnumbering the trOtters two
10 one and the Increase during the season
all but ended with more than double the
total for 1893. There are men still living
anL none of them rechoned as the oldest
inhab!tant,' VINO can remember when
there were fewer horses with records Of
230 or better than those that are now
credited with having beaten those figures
by twenty seconds.
In the matter of championships the
present season has considerable improv-
ed on the advance of 1892. when the two
gaits stood equal at 2.0i. The PAGER has
once more Resumed the supremacy that
has been, with rare exceptions. character
istic of this gait during the seventy-odd
years II has been IN rivalry with the
trct Flying Jib was the only sidewheeler
TO touch the mark reached by Mascot
and Nancy HANKS during 1893. but this
year has given us no less than four
PAGERS and one tTOtter that have epuall-
ed or eclipsed the worldwide sensations
Of 1922
Since Alix clipped quarter OF a second
from the mark that confronted her this
season, she has been unfortunate in fail
ing 10 have one really favorable DAY for
| her subsequent efforts 10 accomplish a
greater feat than mile in 2o3 -. The
| horsemen who were at Galesburg during
the memorable week In September agree
| that the track. while very good one, Is
| not TO be compared with the superb
courses at Indianapolis and Terre Haute.
| This opinion is strengthened by the fact
| that robert j., Hesn from ms triumph
| at Terre Haute. was only able to compass
the track at Galesburc In 1902 81 Alix
| on the other hand. went just enough
| faster than she had at Terre Haute "a
| secure the coveted laurel of a world 3
| record. which seems 20 be so safely In
| her possession for year at least.
Monroe Salisbury is by no means sat
| ished with what his new treasure has
| accomplished during the comparatively
brief period she has been under his man
agement, and. In recent conversation
| said:
"Alix was not really in my charge III
| after the Grand Circuit meeting at De
| troit, so that / have not lost a race will
| her True, she was driven by my trainer
| Mcdowell. at Saginaw, where she won
| and at Detroit, where she was beaten
| but l did not have control of her then
| She came to me In very good condition
| and apparently there was little to i'm
| prove, but after Lord Clinton had thrash
ed the little mare, ! made up my mnC
that she NEEDED more flesh. TO put this
on and not take away any speed was my
nrst care, ana at the same time | contin
| ued to study carefully the best way L
ed something, and long before the race
at Boston, l firmly believed she coulC
beat Directum.
Haute in August. when, in spite Of a 10
| of scoring Alix stepped off three heat
| i'm 2O6, 2:O6 IL, and 2:0j IL. Up to tina
| race | was rather doubtful whether sh
| would have chance with the black fel
| low, but her performance that day con
WINGED me that l had underestimate tn
| mare.
when Directum went that third hea
i'm 2:O5 IA at Nashville last fall he har
everything in his favor. 1 never saw
better day for a great mile, and as Gold
smith and Geers knew they could not bea
the horse with Hazel Wilkes and Night
ingale, they let us 20 slow for two heats
| Then | was allowed to use a pdcemake
In the third heat. which was Il big ad
| vantage. My driver was instructed (
10 as fast as possible, so that Directun
was all out at the finish. Now compar
that third heat with the one AliX trOtte
ana you can understand why l wanted I
| match her against the stallion.
of course, ! thought Directum wou
make much better fight than he did
ana no one was more disappointed a
his showing than myself. 1t means tn
loss OF considerable money, for had Ia
race at Mystic Park been close, no mat
ter which won. these two horses N.oul
draw big crowds in other cities. | neve
liked AK so well as on that day at Bos
ton, ana she seemed TO know just Nha
was expected OF her. How she could scare
That was where | thought the bac
horse and the advantage and Hicko
drove him like mad. evidently trying 4
carry the mare or her feet. She wen
| straight as an arrow ard Impressed m
| more than ever that she could beat Direc
tum the best day he ever saw. AliX al
| ways goes better I'm a race than agains
time. for her wonderful good sense tell
her the difference between scoring wit
runner and alongside Of somethin
that goes her gait
when | get through with all the en-
| gaGementS over here" continued tLi
| lfost successful Of trotting turfmeu
AliX Will be taken to my farm at Pleas
anton, Cal. She will get just enoug
moderate work to keep her muscles hard
and with what | have found out abou
the best way TO train her / feel cOnfiden
| she Will 90 faster next year. What will
she do? Well, | look for "A mile in go
| at least and my old friend Or. Latham
has been figuring on two minutes"
| Regarding Directum, Mr.. Salisbury ex
| pressed the belief that the iet-up he 20
| last winter was fatal to his future de
velopment. He speaks kindly of hi
neighbor, John Green, who bred and still
owns the famous young stallion, bu
| does not hesitate 70 tell OF his keen salts
faction in having something better L
| take the place of his former pet Wha
| with the money he won and earned ii
| exhibitions during the two seasons tina
Salisbury had him, and the offer OF $50 90
made through a commissioner by Franl
| Work. the New York financier Direc
tum would have netted close to $1,000 /
Mr. Green had disposed Of him a yea
ago. His son, Thomas II. Green, mad
a quiet trip across the continent abou
two months ago, and saw both the con
tests at Boston In which the stallion
| figured so prominently. The one II
which he carried off the honors owe
Arion and Nelson was the first occasion
| on which either he or his father haC
seen their trotter move in public. 1t Il
| understood that the price paid fer tn
| racing qualities of the horse this season
was S5000, and as Monroe Salisbury say
he got the bulk OF the money realized a
/ TO fnV oh mil