The Washington herald., 1909-08-01

with those on the big ring aa Detroit
As was to be expected the eyes OF
nght-harness horsemen in every part OF
the country have been centered during
the week on the doings at the beautiful
City-of-straits-the city Of feir women,
gallent men. fast horses. and great In
dustrial enterprises.
For upward OF twenty-five years Detroit
has borne the honor Of being the curtain
raiser for the grand circuit, and which
will point the way the present season by
way OF Kalamazoo 20 Cleveland Buff
falo. Readville. Hartford, Syracuse. and
Columbus. Then win follow the classic
events at Lexington, Ky, not in the
Grand circuit, however. and the curtain
viii drop for another twelve months.
Detroit, with It's historic tracks and its
historic memories. may in a certain
sense be called the father OF the grand
circuit although Cleveland may truth
fully lay claim 10 a share in the honor
as well as Buffalo Things had been
going bad for o long time at the old
Hamtrack track at Detroit. when,
quarter Of a century ago, the man for
the crisis and the hour rose in the person
OF Daniel j. Campau. a wealthy man OF
iron nerve and resolution OF steel (and
the lneaI descendant. by the way. Of a
French marquis). took hold OF affairs and
worked a regeneration Of track man
agement over the waters Of Lake Erie,
IN Cleveland. at the head OF the Cleye-
land track. where Maud s., 2.CSas 90
high wheels. set the trottlng mark FOR
many generations Of horses 20 shoot al,
was a prominent merchant. William Ed
wards. father Of General Clarence Ed
wards OF this city. q man OF unswervlng
integrity who believed in making and
keeping the turf clean. lie stood firmly
by the side Of Campau.
Farther down the line Of lakes at Buff
falo, was that far-seeng business man.
illustrious for what he did IN the way OF
breeding ventures-Cicero J. Hamlln He.
too stood by Campau, and through the
trio the grand circuit, as we know il to-
day. came into being Edwards and
Hamlin have long since gone TO solve the
great mystery, but what they did for
track publication. and ghat Campu did
and has since done for the uplift Of the
nght-harness horse as a distinct breed.
can never be forgotten.
Aside from this. Detroit has a sentimen-
tai claim on light-harness horsemen.
Campau, worn and SCARED by past
struggles. but full of aggressiyeness and
pugnaciousness as Of old. and. FAR from
being a veteran tagging superluous on
the stage, is no longer az the head OF
affairs. Younger men are az tho helm,
and the report, OF the week show that
they have learned their lessons we'll All
OF the great harness horses of turf his
tory. have Qt ono time or another. per-
formed over the Detroit tracks-from
Flora Temple, who first set the Uotting
record at 2.l92l, % Dexter. 2:1T1t. the
first 20 lower the mares record. Almost
contemporaneous. II not quite was
George Wilkes. 2.22. Then followed d.
rector. 2I7. Robert McGregor. 217ih;
Piedmont. 2.1Th; Frances Alexander and
Polo Alto, 2,0Sa4, all founders Of great
trotting families. and whose descendants
are racing on "a thousand tracks in this
country and Europe to-day. Later still
came Joe Patchin. 2:0iM. sire Of Dan
Patch. 1855: John r. Gentry. 2:O0h; Lou
Dillon. l:5sk: Sweet Marie 2:02h: High
ball. 2.03E; The Abbot, 2:o5sL; Allx. 2:O3z
Sonoma Girl 2:05ik. and a long line OF
other sensational performers too uumer-
Gus 10 mention in these columns.
IL Is far cry from Flora Temples
2:l92l IN 1859, TO Lou Dillons 1854 at the
trot, IN 1905. and II Is equally as far &
cry from be pacing recOEd Of old Poca-
bontas, 2:l7h, made City years ago, TO
Dan Patchs mile Of i;55 at the pace made
within the past four years. A quarter Of
a century ago a mile az the trot in two
minutes or better was scofred at by
thousands as an iridescent dream. and
had any one ventured to predict that q
9scer would negotiate q mile in 1:55 he
would have been considered a certain
candidate for the mad house
And yet, from the light OF experience, It
IS safe to say IN these columns that be-
fore another quarter OF century has run
its course, the pacing record viii be l:J0
or better, and trotters will be doing cake
walks around the 1:55 mark
While the week az Detroit does not
Aank. from a sensational point OF view
with some previous years. II was q week
OF surprises The wise men. so-csTed,
held to the belief that there were at least
two horses IN the 2:1 trot on Monday.
shat previous 70 the actual event. would
trim Country Jay. Penisa Maid and
Judge Lee, practically sound, fast. and
game. were considered his equal In speed,
while, on the other hand the old gelding's
latnoness aid not warrant making q
greater plunge on him In tho pools than
was made. His extreme speed and game
n9ss were never doubted. Turf history
does not often record the physical re-
generation Of such a magnificent cripple
qls Country jay has been for over eight
bears past. It was al Detroit in 1871 that
3e made his FIRST start on tho grand cir
Auit. In which he was second 70 the grand
Blectioneer flly Eleata, 2:0Sts. lie closed
the racing season as the second largest
mbnoy winner OF the year. ais totals run
nin)g up TO S17.Sl2 While Eieata's win
niniga exceeded his by only 1913
Tnsfe who have scanned the Jay
''hoias while standing viii ooncede that
theyt have not seen much in the way OF
gocu' looks. Unlike most Of bic family
whicN arc roans or grays, he IS a chest
nut-tea cotor, light wasted. slim necked
carrieF ais head low. and, altogether
preseRfs. very meek. detected, end
humbl6 appearance. He has long been
known on the big rings as that yellow
pup" n HIS 1901 campaign he developed
q Epavif and nearly every veterinarians
IN the lai2d has had whack at him IN
the way 2f treatment. as did about all
the horse Eminent men IN this country
and Europe. On the strength OF the re-
port that he was sound and had triale5
IN 2:oS he was sold. about year ugo
for $4,000 and lawsuit resulted His
new owner, finally, sent him to the sales
ring. and he WIS knocked down for the
measly sum Ok $40. George II. Est5-
brook. OF Denver. being hts present
owner
The Detroit NJ & NJ $1,000 stakes