The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-06-23
JACK FEEK PASSES AWAY
WAS OYE or THE GIANTS OF THE
GRAND CIRCUIT.
with Kitefoot and Lady Whitef0Ot
He Won Some Great Races a
Quarter Of "A Century AgO-Died BY
His Own Hand-Harness Racing
t.Ossip-AnOther Old Timer Gone.

Quarter OF century AgO-DIeu by
His Own Hand-Harness Racing
Cossip-Another Old Timer Gone.
Tie death of Andrew j. Feek at
Syracuse a few days ago removes an
other OF the oldtme trainers and
drivers of trotters. Jack Feek as he
was famtliarly known among the hat-
ness-racing lovers of a score of years
ago, occupied place among the sue
cessful trainers of that period COM
parable with the positions such train
ers as Geers, Andrews and Snow oc-
cupy now. He was a shrewd. far-see-
ing man and as was common IN
his day, used the horses he trained
to make money with, for. the day Of
big salaries for trainers and drivers
had not yet arrived. One of the first
great-race horses Feek had was the
chestnut gelding Lysander Boy. Feek
first started this horse on the half
mile tracks, racing him over the two
lap rings that year and next. In 1873
Feek and Lysander Boy tackled the
mile tracks and won at Syracuse,
Poughkeepsie, Hartford Boston.
Providence, New York and again a.
Syracuse in the fall. In 1878, after a
few races on the halfInile tracks,
Feek Joined the Grand Circuit at Buff
dalo and won the $4,000 purses of his
class. taking his record of 2:20a ia
the first heat, defeating such we'll
known trotters of that period as Lady
Pritchard, Lew Scott, Dick Swivellot,
Silversides and. Matte. A record ~
2:20% does not seem much nova"
days, but it did in 1878, when the
worlds record was only 2:13M.
In the early sos the most promi-
nent member of the Feek stable was
King Almont, 2:21H This Kentucky
bred stallion was out from 1881 70
1885, getting a good share of the
spois. His last appearance was in
the Spirit of the Times stallion cup
race at Mystic Park, Boston Septem-
Der 80, 1885, won by Pilot Knox,
where he got fourth money. After
ward, two fast, stout-hearted mares
Kitefoot, 2:17H, and Lady Whitefoot
21SH, brought golden grist to Feek s
mill The former made her debut in
1885 and was in the hunt for three
seasons. Lady Whitefoot came later
and won a great race at Cleveland 10
a field of Is on August 2, 1888. This
occasion was specially noteworthy as
the big troop that lined UP caused
great trouble for the judges, as num-
bers On drivers arms were not used
then and it was lagey the difficulty
of sorting out the conflicting color;
that caused the numerical system t.
be adopted the same season. OF this
race Feek said: THAT was the mos
remarkable contest | ever took par
in. Lady Whitefoot was only H.
hands high and weighed 500 pounds
I tipped the scale at $50 and yet thi;
little mare pulled me and stout sui.
ky through that raft of horses, win
ming the second, third and fourth
heats in 2:18A. {" 1919 and 2:19. A
gamer or strong; one for her inches
never lived
Flo years Mr. | Eek looked after the
frotters of the Syracuse millionaire
d. Edgar Grouse. md when that mar
died some IL or L. years ago he be
queathed the 81 lcuse trainer $100,
600 and while Feek continued tc
take an active interest in trotters
training one or two for himself occa
sionally, he retired from active par