The Washington herald., 1911-10-22
By l.. ID. SALE.

horsemen during the past week was di-
rected toward Laurel and Frederick,
where some of the best horses East and
West, as well as some who have been
following the Grand Circuit, have been
performing.
1t is a season of the year when SEN
sational time can hardly be expected
from the very best Of horses; besides
there was much moisture during the
week which necessarily precIuded fast
time Very naturally. the event of in
terest in these parts during the week
was the free-for-all trot with such horses
in the field as Charley Mitchell, 2:09 Il,
HailwOrthy, 2:O5 ii; Capt. George, 2:OS Ii,
the fast stallion Creighton. and the fast
and consistent AIlerton mare, Nancy
Royce, who has been teamed during the
past two racing seasons by the we'll
known 'Knapsack" Mccarthy.
1t was not the expectation of seeing
fast time hung up that drew the large
crowd of spectators to Laurel on Thurs
day. or the hope of seeing blood stirring
contests between these great trotters;
il was the desire to see the horses that
have been making turf history during a
remarkable season of light harness rae
ing. 1t was a foregone conclusion, in the
free-for-all trot, that Charley Mitchell
would win about as he pleased. He has
proved himself to be the fastest gelding
trotter of the year, is usefully sound and
is liable to be in the free-fOr-all trOts of
1912 Mitchell is a i5.2 sOrrel gelding, anG,
as he stands in his stall, is far from
being a specially attractive horse. He is
a trappy going animal, goes on the trnt.
M hp, ;E vii, bod q
is so easily rated that his speed can ne
spread over a mile without taking too
much out of him any part of it. He can
brush much better than 4 twO-minute
clip, and the horse that can live with alm
from the head Of the stretch home has
got to be a very remarkable trOtter.
Mitchell is one of the finds of w H.
Rhodes. OF Guttenburg. y. J., who learn
ed tho rudiments OF his profession in
this city. while employed on the stock
farm of the late Gen. f. F. BeaIe. Rhodes
had a friend who was in search Of a
trotter of Grand Circuit dimensions, and
recommended Mitchell as a horse that
would fill the bill. The amount asked,
$500. locked hIg to the purchaser at the
time, but RhOdes' judgment has been
fully vindiCated by the events of the sea-
son. Rhodes is one of the characters OF
light harness turf: an excellent judge of
class in horses, is a wise counselor when
big money is at stake, and the heats are
split and the horses are longing to go
to their stables, and he never goes into
winter quarters broke. Rhodes story of
his development of Bcrvaldo into one of
the most wonderful tTOtters the Grand
Circuit has thus far produced, is worthy
of a ChIpter by itself. 1t is Il story of
indiscrimination and applied skill in bal
ancing and sounds like fairy tale when
told
1t IS difficult to estimate which excited
the most interest at Laurel during the
week-Mitchell or his trainer and driver,
Thomas Murphy, of Poughkeepsie, \. Y,
the most successful driver and the big
gest money winner of the year Oil 'he
Grand Circuit. The most striking point
about his anatomy is his billiard cue
slendeTness. In the sulky he resembles
an Interrogation point. On the ground
he looks like an animated lightning rod.
thin. tall, and lanky. lean of face, and
hungry looking. He recalls what Lin
coin once said Of Alexander II. Stephens,
of Georgia, when he met him at Old
Point Comfort during the closing years
of the civil war Murphy does not Eec3
a wind shield when he drives; he is so
thin that there is no air resistance.
As a reinman this Irish-AmeriCan has
no master and few rivals When he
stands erect he is about five feet ten.
His features ire sharp enough to cut !
bread. He is only thirty-fve years old. |
and he looks to be fifty. When ne drives
a 2:O5 trOtter or PAGER he has to be
to his seat in order to escape
from being blown fIOm mis- sulky hy the
air currents. He has Won tine
present racing season with a single
horse, r. T. c., SSO.90O, ard nus total win
nings for the season are a tTifie over $780, |
to buy new gown for the
wife, a few frocks tor the kids at home, |
and a Tuxedo and fuzzy hat for him !
self, should he need them.
Hailworthy. one of the sensations of |
1870 came last IN Murphy's string, and |
is consigned to the auction sales by his |
owner, Mr.. J. NJ. CaYanaugh, of Harri- |
Va. He is I6-hand bay geIding, |
and, notwithstanding the fast miles ne
has gone, has not pInlI,le on his legs. |
He would make a grand matinee horse l
for some one, and, If Washington was
The horse center It should be, he might |
come to this point 1t is rumored that |
Nancy Royce will also go under HE
in a few weeks. 1t is further
rumored that Charles MCDermott will
dispose of Capt. George during the win
ter.
McDermott was offered for the stallion
80, coo at the beginning of he racing sea-
son of 1910 and refused it. The Cap
tain would not probably bring within
$1,000 Of that sum at the present tine
He is by Admiral Dewey, and Dewey's
10 not stand high nowadays as racing
machines. They ere fast, but not fast |
the most of them do not race
sound and are not incliued tc ne stea Iy
when pinched. A 2:l0 troster. that goes
all the time on the trot. IS d much more
valuable racing tool than one that can
sometimes trOt in 2:OS, but is liaole to be
unsteady just as the money is in sight.
The go trot at Laurel on Tuesday,
was an interesting event. There were
we'll meaning local personages who
thought well enough of Miss Kushau to
want to wager that she would win the
race. She did look winner in the FIRST 1
heat, from the head of tile stretch home
until the driver of the Philadelphia maj
Acolia, turned on her speed and smother
ID her. The Washington mare flew into /
Lhe air in a tired break and was beaten
put by length. There were two other
mares In the .ield able to beat Miss /
Baron and Zoe Patchen.
The former beat her home the second