The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-03
STUDY WHY OF
SPEED OF TWO
CHAMP HORSES
Peter Manning and Ari0n Guy De-
rived Powers from AxwOr-
thy, Grandsire.

Lexington, n.y., NOV. o.-W men
Peter Manning and Arion Guy
established new world speed rec
ords during the fall trotting sea-
son held here recently, thousands
of spectators took the performances
as a matter of course while breed
ing specialists and close follow
ers of the sport went home to scan
pedigrees and statistics to discov-
er if possible the origin of the un-
usual speed displayed by the two
animals.
A study of pedigrees made by
Professor W. S. Anderson, an auth
ority on horse breeding and a mem
Der of the animal husbandry de-
partment of the Kentucky College
OF Agriculture, shows that the two
animals derived their ability for
speed from Axworthy, a sire who
was not exceptionally fast himself
but one who is noted for the speed
Of his get and that of his sons. He
has record of 2:15b.
Studies made by Professor An
derson show that Peter Manning,
who set a new worlds record for
the mile by reducing the time from
1853 to 1:57&, could not have OBJ
tanned his speed from his mother,
Glendora G., 3, who had a track rec
crd of 2:25A, nor from her sire,
Emmett Grafton, who had a record
off2:2S.
On the other hand one would
not pick the sire of Peter Manning,
AZoff, who has a record of 2:1414
for mile. to produce the greatest
speed of any sire of breed but it
must be conceded that the champ
ions speed came to him from his
sire since he could not have OBJ
tanned it from his DAM" Professor
Anderson said.
The dam of Azoff is Dolly Worthy,
who was sired by Axworthy. This
makes the new worlds champion a
great-grandson of Axworthy.
Previous to the browning of the
orld's champion, ARion Guy, an
ether descendent of Axworthy, be-
came the first four-year-old stall
lion to go mile in two minutes or
better by setting a record of 1897
for the distance. Arion Guy was
sired by Guy Axworthy, who was
also the sire of the worlds champ
ion stallion, Lee AXworthy, who
went a mile in 1:5SA.
Peter Manning obtained three Of
The requisites of speed. in a great
horse from several different
sources, further studies made by
Professor Anderson show. These
requirements are speed, or the abil-
ity to go very fast; toughness and
endurance, or the ability to carry
speed for mile and to repeat; and
Intelligence, or the ability and will
ngness to be trained and racet
No one family OF trotting horses
has all these requisites, according
to Professor Anderson
In spite of the fact that he was
not fast horse, Axworthy, who
contributed extreme speed to the
makeup of Peter Manning, is noted
for the speed of his own get as well
as that of his sons as shown by
the. records established by some OF
these animals, Professor Andersen
said. Lee AXworthy, worlds champ
ion stallion, was sired by Guy Ak
worthy, a son. of AXWorthy, while
General Watts, another son of An
worthy, is founding a family of con-
ststent trotting horses, according to
Professor Anderson. Dillon AK
worthy, another son, is at present
the sire of the most sensational lot
OF young trotters ever produced by
any trotting sire, Professor Ander-
son said
1T is safe to say that the great
est contribution which any sire has
ever made to a breed is Peter the
Greats gift of toughness to his
descendants" Professor Anderson
SAID. He also has passed on eX-
IRENE speed but its value in his
offspring has not been as great,
perhaps, as his contribution of en-
durance. Peter Manning got this
toughnesS or endurance through
his sire, Azhoff, in a superlative
degree. Last year he was a con-
slstent trotter and established the
worlds record for three heats in
2:0S, 2:0234 and 2:O21a. He also
holds the worlds record for four
year-old geldings with a mark of
2:0215.
Peter Manning's intelligence
could have come TO him through
more than one line of his pedigree.
rms is an important factor which
Is sometimes moderated by people
WHO view trotting race No mat
ter how fast horse may be or how
Sreat his endurance. if he will not
START right, stay in his gait or yield
himself to his driver he will not
make records worthy of his speed
and endurance"