The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-04

him Billy and for green one fresh
from the fields he certainly could trot
fest. John Curtin bought the gelding
and as he led him away he told his
former owner that he would call him
Billy Barefoot II he was ever fast
enough TO go TO the races.
That fall az soon as the fairs start
ed the new trooter was turned loose
end before the close Of 1873 every
one in the Western world or at least
that portion of II between the Mis-
souri, and Missippi rivers. knew that
| John Curtin had a trotter which could
win In almost any company in that
| locality, AS the news spread it land
ed among the white tops Of the Bar
mum. Bailey. Cooper and Hutchinson
circus which was making a trip 4 cross
! the state Both Bailey, who after
wards owned and raced ]. 3. Thomas.
! Tony Newell, and the beautiful mare.
: Florence. and Cooper. decided TO pur-
/ chase the Iowa. trotter, Cooper So
! cured the prize the deal being closet
after banking hours and as IN thosr
| Gays II was customary for a circus
| to pay for everything in cash. Cooper
went 90 the ticket wagon. drew 81, 900
! and exchanged II for the black trot-
! ter. John Curtin went home to sup
| per with the bundle of bills under his
arm and throwing IL on the table said,
That is a pretty fair price for one
/ horse 70 bring" At that time I'd WAS
lad eight years old and II looked
/ 10 him like all the money in the
/ world.
! Cooper took BILLY barefoot to Phil
adelphia where he was raced FOR the
! next ten years and closed his career
/ with a rcord OF s:2s f-2 made over
! Belmont Park in 1873 In a race that
Mike Goodin won with Lady Crosein.
! In his day Billy barefoot was started
| in forty-seven reported races OF which
| he won eighteen. was second In four
teen, third in seven and fourth in two.
George, A Ayers, Sorrei Tom. Snow
F'loke. Gray Chief, Lew Ives apd
! Clothesline. n trottsr that broke
| Fra Hedric and Lem Ulman three
or four times. while ne was in turn
defeated by Stewart Maloncy, Ripton,
Little May. Grey Salem, Black Frank,
! Csrbolic and few others. Chester in
! hts trotting and pacing record also
states that Gus Glidden rung him
under the name OF Nick In Michigan
| and Indiana in 1873 The returns.
however. show that ne got him mixed
with another horse as at that time
|
stable in DEBORAH. Iowa. This Horse
| was, however. started under the name
| OF Billy Foot and Nick in 1879 after
! Mr.. Cooper sold him.
! The sale IF Billy Barefoot for $4,000
| ma de the trotters boom In the VI
cinity Of DEBORAH. and also encour-
aged the Curtin family to remain In
| the business u kept coming back
| year after year with horses of all
kinds. eolors and descriptions SO long
! "a they could race It also prompted
! Edward 10 take few flyers In the
sa me direction and he has now been
/ at II so long that he does not know
/ how TO find his way out, In his day
! he has raced enough horses to equip
q Wild West show and while some
OF them would have beeen more at
home there than on a racestrack the
| check list shows that a. lot OF them
made good. the trotters including
Look S,r Maid. 2;i2 Ia; Peter Chtnn,
2:I4 ia: Vestalene. AHA ia; For
etgn Prince. AIS IA. and bunch of
over forty others white such PAGERS
as Major Ong.. e:o$ Ia; Hal j..
| 2;o5 Ia: Princess Margaret 2:os
IA: Len Medium. 2;os IA. and Tally
B.. % IA. niunched a, few bushels
! OF oats In hts barn.
Last year Ed Curtin grabbed the
end Of the rainbow when he dropped
! into ths Great western Circuit with