New-York tribune., 1899-07-31
NEWS AND GOSSIP OF THE TRACK AND
ROAD.

Among the trotters entered at the Albany meet
Ing last week was the old black gelding Bert
Sheldon, jr.. 2I6h4 that is now going through his
twelfth campaign. The horse is sixteen years old
and the record books show him to be in some
respects the most remarkable trotting horse ever
seen on the turf. No other horse has trotted so
many races and very few have won so many
heats In standard time Old Berts score. accord
ing to Wallaces Year Book, is 1S5 trotted
and 2l9 heats In 2:3O better. George O.
Smith. of Orange. who has owned the perennial
campaigner during the last eight years says.
however that the old horse has taken part In
many not reported IN the books. and that
he has actually started more than two hundred
times As three heats were required to decide the
shortest of these contests. while many of them
Snkey that 0s smhs ndusross gone
more than eight hundred miles at speed IN IN PuDmcd cord
that has won as many heats as Bert Sheldon. jr
It part s ~e of haT @ Ha Winning IN
against tine.
Bert Sheldon, jr, is a big, powerfully formed
black gelding 16 hands high Weighing not far from
1,2cO pounds in trotting condition. In winter when
he is turned loose in a large paddock, and Is not
harnessed ne sometimes tips the beam at 1,9O)
pounds. He in light shoes. only quarter
boots and ankle boots and requires artificial ap-
pliances to balance him. He foaled in 1883. at
Middleburg, Penn. and got by the well known
trotting sire Warwick Boy from dam whose
breeding is virtually unknown. He started for the
since then. In 1891 he started twenty-five times and
nineteen races His record of 2:l6l4 was made
in 1892 but he has since then equaled the mark
several times. and has frequently trotted much
faster in losing performanfGs PerhapI the best
Penn, where he finished close second to Ruby In
opSTa,ons ion w has a BEEN in the states OF
PENNSYLVANIA and New-Jersey. although he has
West as Ohio to earn his winters oats.
George o. Smith. the owner of the matchless old
campagner said the other day TO a reporter of The
Tribune: Il have owned Bert eight years now. and
l will own him as long he and both live His
earnings | never kept track Of. excepting in one
year Then they were trihe over $1,000. Twice.
however, since owned him have backed him
in the pools hard enough to win the price Of
pretty good house and lot. I've got the house and
lot, too. and that's reason why I'm going to
take care the old horse until OF lies down
and dies"
James Butler. the New-York horseman. whose
trotters cut such wide swath in the Grand Cir
cult last year, Is meeting with rather poor luck
thus far this Directum Kelly. 20Sh. the
star Of the stable. has not yet started in public,
and rumor has been persistently circulated TO
the effect that the great son of Direct is not him
self this year Trainer John Kelly says. however,
that the horse is perfectly sound, is advancing
nicely in his work, and will start for the first time
at Glens Falls two weeks hence. Kelly drove him
a mile In 2:lsl2 at Detroit the other day. He Will
meet at Glens Falls the great trotters Bingen,
be one of the most notable harness record.
MIR Buffers stallion Gayton. by Attention, lowered
his record from 2I0li TO 209S4 at Detroit, but he
was behind the money at Cleveland last week. and
has yet to win his first race In the Grand Circuit
this year. Another member Of the plucky metro
politan turfmans stable had the misfortune to hit
his knee the eve Of the $4,000 race at Detroit,
and Is now laid up for repairs. This horse is
Baron March. by Delmarch. He gained a record
OF 2:l5 in his first at Hartford about month
ago and was looked upon being one Of the best
green trotters IN the country. 1t is believed that
he will soon be in shape to start again.
The race won by Elloree at Cleveland last Satur
day was probably the fastest six heat contest
trotted in the Grand Circuit The average time OF
the six miles was 2:10l3. while the last heat
only two seconds slower than the first one, making
a remarkable example Of extreme speed well sus
tained. The winner Is nine years OF age, and she
has been on the turf since she was two years
old Elloree is q daughter of Axte 2l2. and Flora
NcGregor by Robert McGregor. 217l2. In the
fourth heat of her great race at Cleveland she
lowered her record from 2:O9$4 to 2:OS12.
More than thirteen hundred men are now work
ing on the new trotting track which w. II. Clark
,s building near Yonkers. The homestretch Of the
snlendd course is completed and the graders and
surfacers expect TO finish the remainder Of the
track about the middle Of August This would
give a margin OF more than two weeks before the
oneninR of the Grand Circuit trotting meeting, the
dates for which are September 4-9. Nearly all or
the ST hles are ready for occupancy. The club
house and the big steel grandstand are going up
ike magic and. although the time is short, Secre-
,arv roman saws both structures will be completed
In annie time for inaugural races.