The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-11-18

Jim Lucas, wizard among horse
trainers, h spending the winter in.
Butte. In his day he was familiar
with many horses, bred In the royal
purple, and through his training,
winners Of world events ON the
great race tracks Of the United
States. An he has to do now In
to look hack through the vista Of
years and conjuro mp forgotten
glories. Twenty years ago he was
in charge Of training ON Marcus
Days Bitter Root training farm,
where were bred some Of the fast
est racers ON the American turf.
For nearly 80 years Lucas was a
top notcher and It was his privilege
to breed and. train some of the great
eat horses the world has produced. He
remembers them today and reflects
upon their greatness-but not like
the old timer who remembers the
proves of John L. Sullivan, or a
Jim Corbett in his day. He had a
hand in the making of the horses
with which he came in contact which
is different from just knowing about
them.
4UeA40E "a 40G1 WV1xUe
Had Marcus DAILY lived longer he
would have had stable that would
have conquered the world in turf
dom. OF that Jim Lucas feels Ger
tain, and regrets the untimely death
of Mr.. DAILY and the disposal of his
famed stable.
When he was between 8 and 9
years old. Jim Lucas began to exer-
else race horses and train stables at
the WOODBURY. farm, Kentucky, the
property of Robert Atchison Alexan-
der. His education in horses began
with the best that there was in turf
dom-with horses such as imported
Australian, remarkable race horse
and one of the greatst sires in Amer
lea up to the time of his death. One
of Mr.. Alexander's famous brood
mares was Ethan Lass, dam of
Kingfisher, and also Canary Bird,
dam Of Harry Bassett. In the Alex
ander stables was also Lexington, who
held the mile record for 20 years
and who was an aged horse at the
time that Lucas began to exercise
him. He died at the age of p years
and his skeleton is mounted today
in the Smithsonian institution as tri-
butte to his greatness.
OF Great Stock.
From the horses which Alexander
kept and a number of his Glencoe
mares are descended many of the
horses which cut a figure today in
race circles and from which came
Hamburg, one Of Daly's horses, and
which was intensely Glencoe bred
with six distinct crosses.
It was a proud youth who handled
not only the horses mentioned but
others, such as Fax, Planet, Asteroid,
Falsetto, Lison, King Alfonso, i'm
ported Scythian and Powhatan.
Planet, for instance, was winner OF
81 out Of IS races in which he was
entered. Asteroid, son Of Lexington,
was unbeaten in II races and lost but
one heat.
From exercising, at which he was
first started, Lucas was advanced to
take charge of different departments
and bred and trained such trotters az
Maud S., Messiah, Harold, sire OF
Maud s., and Miss Russell, dam OF
Maud s.
At the age Of 81 years in 1885 Lu-
cas- left WOODBURY. farm to take
charge of the Nursery stock farm,
owned by August Belmont, one OF
the most memorable of the early day
race horse fraternity.
Again Lucas came in contact with
the best there was on the turf and
handled such horses as Illused, His
Highness. Maha, Jack of Hearts,
Queen of Spades, and Magnet. Ill.
used got its name when it was
knocked down in a three mile race
by Spring Book, big horse standing
about II hands. Hearing of the in.
cident, Belmont, who was in Eng.
land, wired instructions that the
horse be named "1llused' because OF
the ill-treatment 1t had received. His