The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-25
Horses That Can Trot and Pace
Are Regarded With Much Int
crest BY All HorSemen
MARJORIE IS THE BEST
PERFORMER IN THIS CITY
Some of the Famous Animals
That Have Been Driven to
Good Marks at Both Cats

Double gated harness horses have
generally been regarded with the most
interest by the average horseman. Wor-
cester has a horse of this class the
speedy Marjorie, that was driven by
John Kervick last season. Marjorie did
not have a good year and was great
disappointment. She was not a consist
ent performer for, while she undoubted-
ly had more speed than many of the
animals she raced against, she got into
the money only a comparatively few
times. Yet Marjorie is an interesting
animal to Worcester horsemen. She is
one of the best examples of double gait
ed horses to be found anywhere She
can be swung from one gait to another
WITHOUT THE USE OF HoPPLEs
but by simply changing the weight of
the shoes she wears. She has good speed
at either gait.
Had she been driven at the square
gait all season she would probably have
retired with greater success than she
met with. The change from the pace to
the trot was made near the close of the
season. While in training for 2:14 pace
she went at the square gait and her
out. She didSeXcellent work and started
in her last two races at the square gait.
A large number of double gated
horses have been sent out from Village
Farm, prominent among them being
Heir at-Law, plain looking black.
GeerS started him first as a trotter,
keeping him at that gait till he took a
record of PIP, in 1894. After a season s
rest he was brought out as a PAGER, and
from that time until the close of last
years campaign he was among the most
prominent horses on the circuit, reduc-
ing his record from time to time and
finally getting a mark of 2051a. He was
put to trotting again during the past
season, but Geers failed to get him in
shape for a big meeting. Another ia
nous double gated horse was the bay
gelding Wardwell, who trotteS in 2:15
and paced in 2:161a. The first harness
horse to take
A RECORD BETTER THAN 2:2O
at both gaits was the mare Minnie R.,
that John Splan drove to a pacing re-
cord of 2:161a. This was in 1884, two
years after she had trotted a mile in
2:19. The mare was owned at that time
by Commodore Kittson of Minneapolis,
who also owned then the champion
PAGER Johnston, 2.06% Although Minnie
R. had comparatively little trotting or
pacing blood in her veins, she was sent
several fast exhibition miles hooked
double with a runner, and is credited
with going the distance at this style on
one occasion in 2:03H
During the period Splan was cam
paigning Minnie r. at the pace KNAPP
Mccarthy had the big black gelding,
Jewett, performing cleverly. The latter
had raced for five years as a trotter,
but at different intervals had manifest
ed liking for the lateral gait. He was
given a chance to show his ability as a
PAGER, and did WE'LL securing a mark of
214. He was shifted back to trotting in
1888, and was able to make
THE MILE CIRCUIT IN 2:2O.
Jewett was always willing to perform
at either gait. jay Eye See, the famous
little black gelding, was the fastest
performer at both gaits that ever
lived. He trotted in 2:10 and paced in
2:06A. The latter mark was not made
until toward the close of his turf car
eer, when he showed a tendency to
get sore. 1t is generally conceded that
had the gelding been put to the lateral
gait earlier in his career he would have
had an excellent chance to wipe out all
existing pacing records. Direct was
first raced as a trotter, taking a record
of 2:1S14, but after being shifted to the
pace he became well nigh invincible.
After beating the famous Hal Pointer
in the fastest heat race ever recorded
up to that time, Direct lowered his own
mark to 2:651a. He was then retired to
the stud.