The Washington herald., 1912-11-17

when taken to California by the
late Leland Stanford
AbdaIlah d5), born in Orange County.
N. Y, did better than either Wilkes,
Dictator, or Electioneer while on his ma
tive heath He sired while there the Inn
mortal Goldsmith Maid. 2;14. and. we be-
lieye. got Maj. Edsall sire OF Robert
McGregor, 2:12h. before being taken TO
Kentucky But his greatest triumphs as
q sire were achieved after he was taken
70 that State. where he got Belmont and
Almont and the mothers of some of the
fastest trotters known to turf history.
Happy Medium. another renowned son
Of Hambletonian. met with a happier
fate in the East before being taken TO
Kentucky.
BY a singular conjunction of events. he
was bred to the Kentucky -bred Pilot,
Jr, mare, Tackey, and the result was
the. famous Michigan sire Pilot Medium,
who got Peter the Great CD, 2:o7&-
Taken TO Kentucky and bred to a daugh-
ter OF Dictator, the result was Nancy
Hanks, 2:o4, now one of the greatest Of
brood mares All of these facts only
serve to emphasize the proposition laid
down at the beginning Of this article
that horses, like men. are the creatures
Of environment and opportunity.
There is this important distinction.
however. between man and horse: One
is in a large sense free agent, while
the, other Is the creature OF mans viii;
hence is restricted in usefulness Of serv-
lee Man. being in a sense free agent,
can break the bands Of environment ana
create opportunities, or he may seize
opportuuities created for him. We see
a O., ha m
yearly faock by the thousands 20 these
shores In order to better their eondi-
ZION. Here they find opportunities oe-
MED them on their native soil The poet
has said: Full many flower Is born 20
blush unseen and waste its sweetness N
the desert air" --.r
II would be impossible to number the
horses that might have achieved great
ress had they fallen in other hands, we
reed but look around us every day 70 see
men who own sires that might become
famous II opportunity was presented 10
them or IL their ownership was different.
Nearly every training season We see good
young trotting prospects virtually outch-
cred by men anfit for their trusts. Many
good racing prospects are condemned
every season by men unequal to the tasks
they assume; men who do not possess the
triple virtues Of faith, hope. and patience
H.s
Some four or five years ago there was
landed in this city a carload OF young
things-fllies and colts-from the breeding
farm of Lee Green, OF Indianola, Ill, all
by Red Medium, 2:ss51z. a son of the
renowned Red Wilkes, 2:40, and out Of a.
daughter of Happy Medium. It was the
FIRST Importation on 50 large scale OF
well-bred young horses ever made by
resident Of Washington. In Importance,
Ne
not likely to be duplicated. A few OF
these youngsters had been tried out be-
fore being exposed in the sales ring and
demonstrated that they possessed speed
Every member of the shipment was fash
ionably bred on the side of its dam and
a few. of the dams were already pro-
ducers of extreme speed.
In the consignment was brown fly,
registered as Aicyne-a nervous and will
ful miss, that did not take any too kindly
to- harness and inclined to pace. When
she wished she could show plenty OF
speed, but did not Ike company any too
we'll Her debut on the turf showed that
she was fil-mannered, as she bolted Into
the fence at the great risk Of driver, and
sulky. Practically useless for track pur-
poses. she was bred, her then owner
thinking, perhaps, that the duties Of Il
natron would tone down her fiery ma
ture. But before her fosl was born she
passed into the hands Of Norman Corbins
Of this city, an experienced young horse
man and rare Judge Of the blood horse.
She lost her foaL and as Mr.. Corbin be-
Heves horses should earn their OATS he
put her in a delivery wagon and she
showed an inclination to work kindly.
When the annual encampment of the Dis
trict militia took place in 1911 Mr.. Cor
bin leased the mare 70 an ofdcer, and as
she was good gated under the saddle and
as tough as whIp-leather and Bessemer
Bteel combined. she suffered no injury,
sss
It is quite probable that Alcyue's mill
tary experience did her a world OF good.
for when mustered out she seemed to be
a more sober mare and would cheerfully
do what was asked of her Mr.. Corbin
Hoon after she returned home decided he
would give the mare some track expert
ence, and at the insistepce OF his brother ]
Harry Corbin. he let him have her for a
brief campaign. She took to her work so
kindly and showed so much speed that
her owner decided to have her searched
more thoroughly N 1872 Early IN the
spring months OF 1872 she was placed in
the hands of Alonzo Corbin. who took
her slowly along, carefully conditioned
her, and decided that be had IN hand
something about the eommcn nerd Of
PAGERS
From the outset il was the purpose Of
owner and trainer to get the money hung
Up, II possible, and to shy at low marks
.i$ they could be avoided. In Alonzo's
Itinerary in 1912 there were occasions
when she could have won and didn't BY
studying the summaries Of her races we
assume that much, at least. Alcyne
opened the season OF 1s12 without q rec
ord and was practically a green mare
: Her first start was at Prospect Park. Ral
timore. in the 2:50 pace, purse 800
Searchlast won the race best time
ziisk. AIcyne getting second money She
had fully as much speed as the son OF
searchlight, 2s1s1t. but could not as yet
carry Il as for.
The next week. at the Gentiemen,s
Driving Park, Baltimore. for a purse OF
500. Alcyne again met Searchlast in a
fve-heat race she beat him in 2:lsK IN
the third heat, but searchiast got the
best end OF the purse and mark Of
easst for his pains Alcyne got second
uloney and nSFef thereafter encountered