Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03
RACE HORSES CROSS
THE CONTINENTS
Mamie AIgoPs Trip Recalls Nor
folks Long Sea
Voyage.
How the Great Colt Journeyed
to San Francisco and Found
ed a Family of Winners.
By @. G. Pettus.

Gu d FdIIlIIy OF winners.
By O. G. Pettus.
The record-breaking three-mIle race Of
the mare Mamie Algol at New Orleans last
week shows that we have as good stayers
today, II not better, than in the old days Of
four-mile heats, while the mares sensation
al trip last week from the Crescent City
to San Francisco. passing on the way
the colt Temaceo, bound east from Frisco
to New Orleans draws the attention of the
entire turf world to this plucky pair, jour-
neying $500 miles in search Of new laurels.
Temaceo, winner Of the California Derby,
comes to fill his engagement in the Cries.
cent City Derby, while Mamie Algol will
have bit longer time than the colt to be
ready for the Thornton stakes. four miles,
run the latter part Of this month at Oak
land. Not in some years have horses of
any note been asked to do such arduous
campaigning, and the result in each in
stance will be noted with much interest.
Mamie Algol's three miles in $40 would
have been thought almost an impossibility
twenty years ago. At that time Drake Car
ter had got the three-mile record down to
5A1z, and that remained unchalIenged I'M
til two years ago at Oakland Ellie reduced
1t to 5.22. Now this game daughter of Algol
reduces the record three seconds more and
is sent on her long journey to contest at
four miles. Whether she will lower Lucre-
tia Borgia's record of 7.11h at that dis
lance, however, remains to be seen.
Forty-three years ago at Paterson, N. j.,
Jersey Derby under sensational circum-
stances, and like Mamie Algo was at once
shipped to California to fill match that
had been made for him at two-mile heats.
Norfolk's sire. Lexington, had nine years
before at the Metairie track, New Orleans,
run four miles in 7.19&, and later was pur-
chased by Robert A. Alexander for his
M 1h,,~n tr1 TOO <h4k
an extravagant figure for a thoroughbred
But in a banter with Richard Ten Brock,
Alexander bet the latter $500 that one Of
Lexington's progeny would sell for more
than the sire.
Norfolk and Lodi.
At WOODBURY. farm Lexington soon made
a great name for himself, as the blind son
Of Boston and Alice Carneal seemed to
nick" with all strains Of blood. And two
sons of his, Arcola and Kentucky, sold for
5000 each, but none came near the amount
Of Alexanders wager until 1864.
In that year the first future book ever
made on American racing event made
three Woodburn-bred colts, Norfolk, Aster-
old and Kentucky, all sons of Lexington,
favorites for the Jersey Derby. And after
Norfolk had won the race under sensa-
tional circumstances Theodore Winters Of
California made several offers for the
colt.
w lnteTS ana AleXdHuer agreed Oh
$4,000 as the price to be paid for Nor
folk, plus 81, tackled on to win Alexander's
$500 wager with Dick Ten Brock So
Norfolk's breeder really obtained $15501
for the son of Lexington and Novice, and
the latter was worth every dollar of the
amount as his after career showed.
Norfolk was purchased to be matched
against Lodi. another eastern bred horse
By Yorkshire, out of Topaz, by Glencoe.
Lodi was bred by John NJ. Clay of Ken
lucky, and was a good winner east before
being sent to California. On the Pacific
coast he beat everything Of any account
And Theodore Winters and James L. Eoff
came east to bring out horse to match
against Lodi.
The Californians found out how good
Norfolk was right after the arrival of the
Alexander stable from Kentucky, and from
the late John Morrissey, who laid some fu-
ture bets on the Derby, won nearly enough
to pay for the colt, besides several thousand
dollars more in the auction pools.
Then the afterward noted trainer George
Rice was secured to take charge of Nor
folk for the long trip to California by sea,
and the party, horse and all, loaded ON the
Pacific mail steamer at New York bound
for the Isthmus of Panama. Down the At
lantic side Norfolk was housed between
decks and proved himself good sailor.
To California by Sea.
After unloading at Aspinwan and trans
ferring across the isthmus on the Panama
steamer, Norfolk was installed in roomy
box stall forward on the hurricane deck
And all the way up the Pacific, during the
seventeen days steaming. the $15.OO1 colt
was favored with fine weather and a sea
like an inland lake.
Norfolk reached the Golden Gate in fine
condition and received quite an ovation
when the steamer locked at the foot of
Brannan street, San Francisco. As the
match with Lodi was not to take place for
-,xx ,,ofII ~I1 t.,
colt was sent to Winters farm and given
a good rest after his long voyage.
Under George Rice's handling Norfolk
took kindly to his new home. The nutri-
tiouS alfalfa and other coast grasses put
fresh bone and sinew in the eastern horse,
and as a four year-old Derby winner devei-
oped into a magnificent individual. over
sixteen hands high. and furnished accord
ingly. He was always a bigger horse than
his sire, and his get took after him in that
respect, one of his colts. Ell Rio Rey, who
won the Matron stake at Westminster, being
over seventeen hands high.
Consequently, when Norfolk was takefl
up to San Francisco to be put in active
training for his match with Lodi, the Rice
family father and son. had more than a
handful in the big colt. The old Ocean
House track. out on the Mission road. had
been selected as the arena for the great
race, and here Norfolk was given his prep
aration.
So rank was the horse in the early part
Of his training that he ran away with young
Rice time and again, to the dismay of both
owner and trainer. But after narrowly
missing several accidents his ardor was
subdued and his training progressed more
satisfactorily.
Meanwhile his antagonist. Lodi, a year
older than Norfolk, had been going along
in good style at the same track. we'll
put-together brown, 1873, Lodi, like his
half-brother Arcola, was very level-head-
ed horse, and could stay further. Both
were famous heat horses, as they showed
on many a hard-fought field.
Trains for the Match.
The year before Norfolks advent on the
coast, Lodi, brought out from the east by
Judge James Bryan of San Jose, had won a
s., 800 stake at San Jose, mile heats, from
Strideaway and Margaretta, and later two
more races at Sacramento and Stockton.
These victories practically placed Lodi in a
class by himself.
Naturally then Lodi was favorite with
most native sons" in the match with Nor
folk. in spite of the latter's prestige and
grand appearance. The match was at two
mile heats and took place May 10, 1856.
The winter rains had left a succession of
unusually high winds that spring, and on
the day of the race a forty-mile an hour
gale blew diagonally across the race course,
hampering the horses to degree, as we'll