The sun., 1899-07-30
HAS TROTTED 1876 RACES.
BERT SHELDON, JR., THE BUSIEST T
C4MPAIGNER ON THE TURF.


He's Been Going Twelve Seasons Now. and
Is Still Winning Heats at sixteen Years
of Age--Better Known than Queen Alix
aud More Popular. Too, at Jersey Fairs.
When Bert Sheldon. Jr won his race at
Wavery Park n few weeks ago the old black
trotter opened mis- twelfth consecutive cam
paign. He is now in his seventeenth year and
has been on tho turf since 1893. ping up n
score OF races lost and won which no other
trotter ever equalled. Even Lady Suffolk.
Flora Temple. Goldsmith Maid. Driver.
Deck Wright and tho most enduring OF
the old-time trotting queens and kings
have to take back seat when their
records are compared with that Of tho
industrious campaigner from Orange. Up
the close OF 1898 old Bert had taken n hand in
1873 races while Drivers total, according to
Chester's DoHino and Pacing Record. is 1873.
Lady Sufrolk's 1924. Deck Wright's 40. Flora
Temples 100 and Goldsmith Maids 1O2.
These and tho Western horse. Thalberg, 2:2O.
that started 49, times between 1897 and 1897.
are the only trotters credited by the record
books with taking part in 100 or more races.
Although the end OF Shedons career is not
yet in sight. the old horse has been on the
turf longer than any OF these lasting trottcrs
excepting Lady Suffolk. Deck Wright and
Flora Tcmple. Flora lasted through twelve
campaigns. from 1850 to 1851. Deck Wright
was on the turf from 1877 to 1889. while Lady
Suffolk trotted her first race in 1898 and her
last one in 1852. making fifteen campaigns for
the evergreen mare from Long Island. That
her wonderful score will yet be equalled or
beaten by Bert Sheldon Jr.. many horsemen
believe. as the perennial black gelding is still
rs sound as a bullet. and seem ingly about
fast as ever he was.
There is scarcely half-mile track in New
York Pennsylvania or New Jersey on which
this remarkable trotter has not set foot at one
time or another, and on some Of them the old
horse has hardly missed q meeting during the
last ten years. These three States have been
his stamping ground. although he has some
times crossed the border into Canada and has
gone as far WHIST as Ohio. down last into
Massachusetts, and Maine. and south into
! Maryland and Virginia With due regard
| for the fame OF Alix. 2:O3I, Drectum,
2:OJa, and other champions. it is not
| putting it a whit too strong to say that
| old Eert is easily the most popular OF all trot-
| tcrs ON scores Of Eastern tracks. Out at Wa
| verly and Trenton and Hagerstown they begin
| to cheer him when he pokes his nose through
| the drawg0tr to come on the track and when
lie wins. n- he usually does at the fal fairs
| there" rnndomonnm rctGns among his thou
The tonGh old warrior is plain horse to
n t" pckns g I I n to Sfr pSGes e Is
hands high weighs something, like 1900
pounds in racing condition and in winter
i.aG0 pounds s Like nearly ' ali great cam, cam,
pnigners. he, has q capnrious dinner place, be-
and look. Just what he, ts-a hardy, rough and
| tumble trott"r. Unlike most horses whose
stronghold is tho hatl-mile track. Old Bert is a
lonE-stridng horse; but he folds his knees
having plenty OF action. H. was iioal"d at Md.
| d!enurg. Ia. In lSSt and was bred hy John
EMsQEgi9 H@mrW,yS nr I l IS ka"Wn WAS bH 2
Iron Duke, ont o. a mare Of unknown blood:
and nothing KNOWN Of sheldon dam beyond
Bert had a full brother. foaIrd about 1877. that
gainSi r rs"%rh Hi 2:H in - He He T@fo VIZ
hotel kceIcr and when the younger trotter
cam" along they, called him Bert sheldon. lr.;
hoping he w%u.d some day equal the record Of
| 2::EI'. made lay the other horse.
Eert. Jr.. malc his FIRST appearance on the
tmri IN iS tr"iIpG M tsn n races & n thh At year nnd
the $50 list with a record of 2:2A&. Winning
five races out % thirteen starts. The following
.ght""n :n ~ races % ami Whining % eight Of sH them,
~" year S'l wa .i",t's hest and busiest year.
winning ninrie"n races. His record dropped
70 2:2o'. Wn"n ~; pneumatic s1uky came
| 2:lG'.. which has cyHr since remained III" roc
| ord Of his speed. He trotted tw"nty-on- races
wa Nv Won anl s:Xtrcn lost, maRia1A total
| of twenty contests
IT wa during II" campaign 0' 1874 that the
! old horS" mot with an accident which came
near ending his career While Icing led
| through Jersey civ the cover OF a manhUle in
III" street turned under his feet, l",ting him
tim" it WAS fear, he would hc ruined for rae
| ing purposes lIut his long time owner and
trainer. ,"prE" q. Smith, got him to hi, home
ha"k Of Orang" and nurs"d HIM H.ung 80 sue
reeN-fn!Iv mat h. wa II better h .rso than over
truttrd in i;S:,, hr won seven an lost Nvr In
iS"i he won seven aud lost eight races max
inn a. t.gil tt,.f Var In.
n winning race. vt Beth chem. Pa. he forced
Grcrnlhudcr q II To trot fourth heat in 2:1i D.,
10 win, y Carslc: r.. h, tackled thr great
iowr, ,Hlr h" troted two fast races in two day.
At fourteen wears OF age sheldon was prob
ably n hotter horse ~ lS'I than in any previous
the half f,miie track AT scranton, Pa, and re-
pcatcd the prr'orman"" nt MiIhl"iown in III"
Orange county rrcuit At the Wav"rly fair he
forced bismarck To trut IN 2;l+'s 10 beat him
Irfn''tel u. il Clark : iast mare. Nutshell
G:lJ. in n great race. Perhaps the best nile
n" "I1 horse ever troitcd was at III" B"thl".
s""nh "n m 10 XIV m !" i WSne ON H MAJ track rI
II" trnttrd twenty races in 1897. winning. tho
majority Of them anl heating SON" ri the best
horses on tn" turf Last year th" veteran cam
paixn"r was not quit" ut his best. although
~ beat such horses as Lit Dick. 2:l4A
| Counting his winning races this year old
ninS race aud moro than 225 winning heat. in
23O or better No other trotter excepting
Goldsmith Maid "yor won, :" many heats il
e'0mJnrl TIM, while n" Nnid, F'"ra T"mrIe
! or! books that haT" 10 their "rn,!' an nqua
uGmhcr of winning races Flora 'r"mrl" heads
IT," list with 80. Goldsmith Maid haiuG SorOut
with 80, while Lady Suffolk has - to her credit