Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-02-26
HORSE NOTES.
News of General and Local Interest to
Horsemen.


tanned with a view to making it of interest
both local and widespread.
The death of j. Malcolm Forbes, of
day, Feb 90, the result of a repeated |
operation for an internal malady, is
sad blow to trotting-horse interests, for
he was one of the most liberal buyers of
speed. He was multi millionaire and |
if he wanted a horse no price stopped |
him, as was most forcibly illustrated in
his purchase of Arion, son of Electioneer
and Manette, by Nutwood. This horse, !
bred by Leland Stanford, Palo Alto Cal.
and foaled in 1899, electrified the country
by trotting a mile in 2.104 in his two
year-old form in 1891, a performance
believed to be simply impossible, and
which has not yet been equalled, scarcely
approached. Mr. Forbes, at that time,
had only begun dabbling in trotters, but
it occurred to him that he ought to have
the best if he was going into breeding,
that Arion certainly was the best thing
in sight, and that he would buy him if
he could. The course ne adopted was
not to write for a price, risllng delays
and change Of hands, but to wire to Cal
ifornia an offer of 1928 600 for the colt.
can fancy that the proposition nearly
stopped Senator Stanfords breath, al
though he was even "A richer man than
Mr. Forbes, and well able to keep the
new star in the trOtting armament.
| However, he accepted the offer, for two
reasons, as he told me once in New York
city; first, he was delighted that there
was a man in the country able and game
enough to do what the Boston million
aire had done; second, because he eX-
pected to breed two-year- olds, in the
near future, that would eclipse Arion's
feat. But he never did, and nobody else
ever did. All other fastest records, of
any imfortant class, that held the rank
in 1891, have been superseded, but the
2.1O4 of Arion, as two-year-old, re-
mains apparently invincible, and $685. 900
also remains the highest price by a mar
gin of 100000 ever paid for trotting
horse. Mr.. Forbes allowed him, accord
ing to my recollection, twenty mares as
a three-year-old, at the enormous fee of
$4,000, but the places were all taken.
After his stud-seasOn Arion took a three
year-old record of 2.104, tying Sunol for
the championship at that age, both
being eclipsed later, while at present his
mark is 2.078, and he has a goodly num-
Der in the list, including Nico 2.0S4. 1t
is natural to think first of the champion
two-year-old of the world when writing
of Mr.. Forbes death, but he owned
many others of fame, although he was
rather an exclusive than an extensive
breeder. He bought the then Queen of
the Turf, Nancy Hanks, 2.04, and
created a great sensation in breeding
circles by mating her with the thorough.
bred horse, Imp Meddler. Mr. Forbes
explained, in brief, that he was not ex-
pecting a fast runner or fast trottef
from this union, but hoped for a filly
which he would breed to horse of
strong trotting instinct, and thus he had
hopes of a world heater. From Nancy
Hanks, to the embrace of his own horse
Bngen, 2064, he got the colt Admiral
Dewey, record 2. lat, at three years, and
sold lately for $1,000 at auction. He
also owned Peter the Great, an account
of whose sale was given in this column
a few weeks ago. Mr. Forbes was only
81 years old, and it is pity that he die
not live long enough to carry out his
ideas of breeding and see the completion
of the superstructure, the foundation of
which cost him so much in thought anC
money.
There is more rivalry among Addison
County stations than appears on the
surface. An idea, not suggested by
myself, of having race for entire
horses, owned in the county, at the fal
fair, is being given some consideration
by the Association. Two owners, H. C
Potter of Middlebury, and Charles w
Chapman, of Ferrisburgh, have said tC
me that they would enter their horse.
; for such an event, even were it open t.
both trotters and PAGERS, and 1t Is my
impression as far as l have felt the
pulse of the horsemen here that there
are others who believe that they posses:
stations who can show their tails tC
anything in the Potter or the Chapman
! stable. Such a race, with four or five
or even three starters would excite, tC
my thinking, more interest than any
other kind of an event at the Fail
Grounds. There is time enough to start
one, for reasonable purse, on the
installment plan, with small payment:
to begin with. OF course, it would
remain for the management to arrange
the details, but l take the liberty OF
suggesting general lines. The race