Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-08
COLOR IN HORSES.
Gray in Thoroughbrsds Rare, Yet There Arc
Plenty Of Gray Trotters.

The conspicuous absence Oh gray tnor-
oughbreds and the big muster of animals
of this color among trotters are in such
striking contrast that one gradually De-
comes worked up in n feverish desire 10
know what has become of the gray thor
oughbreds, and why they are such rar-
ity on the race course.
In days gone by, when the land was
teeming with milk and honey. maple
syrup and mint juleps and everybody
Toasted on racing guides and racing Ia
bles gray horses held lofty position.
Then Grey Eagles deeds were sung
throughout the land, and Grey Medoc's
name had become well known in turf
history. Following in their footsteps
came Gabriel and the great sons or Blue
Bonnet, Lightning. Thunder and Load
stone, all cloaked with color OF their
dam. Others of the same hue OF more or
less prominence were Galopade, Ariel
Fanny Wright. Miller's Damsel, Grey
Planet Eagiess, Grey Goose and Fanny
Wright With such an array 1t seemed
impossible for the gray thoroughbred to
be threatened with extinction. yet TO-
day. in this section. Belmar and Grey
Bird only remain to uphold the fame of
the color. while Draw Scot L most prom
inent among the few in the West.
That gray horses have proved failures
as sires is a stud book record This has
been due in a measure to general prelu-
dice against the color, and owing TO TINS
a lack of opportunity. Grey Eagle. how
II,
failed to perpetuate his name, while no
excuse on the score of lack of apprecia-
ton can be raised on Lightning S pc
half, who, during his career as sire,
was responsible for Jean Vatican. Thun-
der disappeare into Canada while Load
stone seems to have vanished tracklesS
after his racing campaign. So much Tor
gray in the male line. In the female line
the gray mares have played more el
fectiye hand Descendants of GalOpade,
Bonnets o. Blue. Eagless. Fanny wright
and Miller's Damsel are still holding their
own. though bearing darker color.
Galopade, whose color came from her
great grandsire, Mambrino, was respon-
Sible for Reel, who established the War
Dance family. Fanny Wright IS respon-
sible for a strong comibina ton of gray IN
Inspector BIS pedigree. through the 1e-
male line of his DAM Colossa, whose
grandam was the gray mare Eleanor
Margrave, a daughter of Fanny Wright
whose sire and dam were both grays.
The color in this case mas apparently
died out with Eleanor Margrave. Eag-
less. a daughter of Glencoe ana mar
by Grey Eagle. was the dam of the grays
Mary Clark Gray Planet, Steel Eyes ana
Lizzie Lucas. The latters daughter
Cerise will live in turf history as the
dam of Morello who could never ne ac-
cused of favoring the female line in color.
Lizzie Lucas was also responsible for the
gray horse Cambyses. from whom noun
ing has been heard since he retired from
active operations, and the gray mare
Cleola who was among the mares pur-
chased for w. H. Vanderbilt from Pierre
LoriIIard's string Millcrs Damsel.
gray mare by the gray horse Messenger,
was the dam of American Eclipse,
chestnut, who failed to perpetuate the
color of his dam. The most persistent
| line of gray today is found in Adele. the
dam of the two grays, Adelbert ana BEL
mar. Adele's dam was by the gray
horse Lightning.
That the gradual eXtlnctloh OF tlie gray
color in thoroughbreds is not ent1rely
due to the lack of support received by
horses of that color in the past is proven
by the fact that mares of the same color
have been as highly priced as matrons OF
more fashionable compilations. 10 get
at the root of the business all thorough
hrads today descend in the male line
| from Eclipse. Herod and Matcham.
Through certain prescribed lines. EcIlpse
| was a chestnut while Herod and Mat
| cham were both bays, nor were any of
their representatives, through whom
| their names are being perpetuated. gray
| Again all results of breeding show that
/ the weaker color has to stand on one
side This is shown in dogs, as m
stanced in fox terriers, where the sire
and dam of one of the principal pillars
were both tan marked in mead, yet the
son threw back to an ancestor with
| bla -tan-marked head. and the lat
ter color, with black predomnating, has
| become a distinctive feature of the fam
| lily.
In collies. sable became the most fash
| ionable color some fifteen or twenty
years ago A dog named Charlemagne
appeared on the scene, and now. through
| his sons and daughters. his blood is the
| most priced. He was a sable by a
black. white and tan dog. and try as
much as they can. traders are con-
| fronted in almost every litter with black
| white and tan puppies. In breeding
| ferrets it is the same thing. Mate a
| white female with a polecat. or brown
| colored dog ferret. and "a large proper
| ton. if net the entire litter, will favor
| the sire's color.
| With thoroughbreds, black. brown, bay
| or chestnut is a stronger or more potent
| color than gray, and since neither of the
three taproots, nor their most potential
descendants. have favored the lighter
| color the odds have been overwhelming
Nv against it's asserting itself, even if
| with a fair start it could have withstood
| the onslaught of the more pronounced
| colors That a number of trotters are
gray is accounted for by the fact that
| their taproot was the imported gray
Thoroughbred Messenger.-N. Y. Sun.
Vassalboro Grange recently conferred
the third and fourth degrees; upon five
candidates. This grange has voted $40