The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-09
did not make a mark still lower than

-.VO74 III LSr Illdl attempt
ITO person not familiar with racing
matters it may seem preposterous to say
that when Maud S. established her worlds
record in Cleveland in 1885 she was not in
condition, but such was the fact. Some
time previous my father had agreed TO
let her give an exhibition at Belmont
Park, Philadelphia. AT that time the
Belmont track was not a good one. 1t
was not firm and it contained a bad hill.
1 counselled my father against sending
her over this track, but he had given his
word and was determined to keep it. One
morning while the driver was working
her out over the Belmont course the
track broke beneath her, or she stepped
on something or some accident of that
kind occurred. At any rate she pulled
UP lame in the near forward leg, and
it was found that the shoe was bent down
a full quarter of an inch. The ankle rap
idly swelled, and in spite of boiling and
careful treatment it continued to give
her trouble 1t seemed almost hopeless
to attempt to do anything with her for
the remainder of that season. Neverthe-
less it was agreed to take her on to
Cleveland, and my brother Frederick went
along in charge of her.
when Maud S. went to the Cleveland
track it was Impossible for her to do
quarter in less than thirty-four seconds.
OF course, record breaking seemed out of
the question under such circumstances.
My brother telegraphed the condition of
affairs to my father here in New York,
and was told to act upon his own judg-
ment. He decided to put new shoes upon
the mare. although ii was only two days
befor the date set for the trial. To most
horsemen his action seemed unwise, but
he was convinced that the mare could do
no worse than she was doing and that
she might do better. At any rate, she was
reshod, and after being walked on the
grass for two days she started in the
trial, on July 90, 1885.
1.-THE man behind the mare was w. W.
Bair, her old driver. 1t was a curious
thing about Bair that he never made a
success with any horse except Maud S.
He was a cold, quiet man, with none of
the enthusiasm or the magnetism that
has characterized most of the great ar
fists with the reins. But Maud S. had
grown UP with him. He knew her PER
fectly. She was a very sensitive animal,
and did not requie the urging necessary
with ether animals. The runner who set
the pace for Maud s. on this occasion
was driven by John Splan, one of the
cleverest drivers that ever sat on a sui
ky. Solai kept the runners nose right
down upon Maud S. and coming down to-
ward the finish he shouted and yelled in
characteristic fashion. Bair sat upon his
seat, calm and unmoved. He did not
urge the mare or lift her out a particle
from start to finish. But she made the
half in 1:0f12 and came home in 1904
establishing her unrivaled record of
2 :0S&4. Had the mare been in perfect con-
dition on that day she might have made
a mark of 2:O712, or thereabouts.
This practically ended the career of
Maud S. on the track. Her record stood
for six years, until 0Stober 20, 1891, when
Sunol lowered it half a second upon the
kite track at Stockton, Cal. To be more
exact her record stands today, for no
horse has ever equalled it under similar
conditions. AS every horseman knows,
the recent lowering of records has been
chiefly due to the adoption of the bicy
Gle sulky. As evidence of this. it may be
said that within two years after the
adoption of this sulky, or down 10 the
end Of the season OF 1893, thirteen trot- |
tiers had made the mile in better than |
2.OS3i. In Sunols case the kite track |
was an advantage. There is no doubt |
that. with the old fashioned high wheeled |
sullzv the kite shaped track was con-
siderAbIy faster than the circular one. !
With the bicycle sulky the difference IS |
scahcelv marked. But with Jay Eye See, |
Directum, and Sunol all have gone the !
half faster than Maud S, none o. them !
ever finished the mile in her time when |
hitched TO a high wheeled sulky and trav- !
cling upon a circular track. According |
". I say that Maud SIS record Of 2.0SAs |
stands today as It as stood for fifteen |
years, and that I have never seen the /
horse that could outfoot her under equal |