The Washington herald., 1911-08-06
BY l.. ID. SALE.


Cnpropitious weather has served to mar
what promised to be a brilliant week OF
| racing at the State fair grounds, De-
| troit. A downpour OF rain. however. was
probably worth more to the agricultural
| interests of Michigan than any sport Of
the hour.
At this time of writing the classic NJ. s,
NJ. if the weather permits. is being de-
cided. but we have reason to believe that
whatever may be the results Il cannot
evorshadow in brilliancy the perform
ances of Miss Stokes. Justice Brooke, and
Mainleaf IN the Horseman and Spirit 0f
| the Times futurity for three-year- old
trotters. pulled off on Wednesday. Never
before in the history of the stake has so
large and good a field OF three-year-old
trntters answered the call OF the starter s
bell so early in the season. in fact, II IS
doubtful whether as good a field of trot-
tcrs of the same age ever before faced a
starter even in the month of October,
when age and performance mad strength
ened and seasoned them for supreme ef-
forts The time of each heat-2:CS1s. made
by Justice Brooke in the first heat. and
the time made ny Miss Stokes. 2:CS24 and
2:091., winner of the race, in the second
and third heats-tells a more eloquent
story than can be told in cold type of the
ma sterly progress of the light harness
horse.
As proof of the contention. let us turn
back decade and compare the condi-
tions of 1900 with 1910. In 1900 there were
only fourteen new 2:1O trotters of all
ages. OF these two only were colt trot-
ters. In 1910 there were seventeen new
2:10 colt trotters. of which two were two
year-olds six were three-year-olds, and
nine were four-yearolds The observing
reader will see by this that we are an
rually producing more colt trotters than
we were 2:10 trctters of all ages ten
years ago, while, colt against colt. the
gain has been over 500 per cent. Again,
in 1900 none of the new 2:l0 trotters OF
any age beat POI, and only two beat
2:GS. while the fastest of the two colt
trotters reached EOS only. In 1910 two
colt trotters took records Of 2:O4%4 each,
Colorado f. and Joan: four beat 2:OI and
seven trotted in 2:0S or better. Now. to
what may we properly attribute this
great progress? To improvement in
sulkies, shoeing. and better methods or
training? We contend not. There has
been no material Improvement In all OF
these accessories to speed during the past
ten wears. To what, then, should we at
tribute the advancement made In speed
except to the fact that the trotter of to-
day, young and old, is better bred (more
scientifically bred is a more proper term
than the trotter of ten years ago.
Thus far the season has not produced
Colorado f. (S), 2:Ci%: n Joan IA. 2:OiA,
nor a Native Belle 80, 2:o6ls all top
notchers in 1910 1t is among the prob
abilities that the season of 1911 will not
produce a Joan, a Colorado F., or
Native Belle. but It is reasonable to be-
lieye that when the statistics of 1911 are
carefully scanned there Will be found
greater general average OF speed among
Young horses than was produced In the
year previous. It Is possible. TOO. that
the five-year-old record of The Harvester,
2.o2 made in 1910, will he found to be in
tact hut what man who makes of light
harness affairs an earnest study Will
dare saw that Il will not be beaten by
some stallion in the three-year-old d.
vision within the next five years.?
o
Public interest m colt racing Is some
thing that time cannot wither nor custom
stale it's infinite variety. This Is best
illustrated by the size Of the attendance
and the size of the stakes from Detroit
to Readville, Mass. and from Readville
10 Lexington. The futurity stakes exceed
in size those of other events, and to see
them contested men travel across the
continent and come even from the con-
tinent OF Europe. In response to the call
Of progress and for the benefit Of breed
ers and owners in this section The
wasington Herald upward of four
years ago began the agitation for stakes
for youngsters on the part Of the fair
associations IN; Southern and Western