The New York herald., 1922-12-31
Says 9-YEAR-
WILL YET BEAT zoo
Veteran Horseman Began the
Study Of Harness Horse
in the Seventies.
LEE WORTHY A MODEL
Tells of Great Great Great
Great Grandsire Land in
Kentucky in 1873.
LEE WORTHY A MODEL
ny GuRNEY G. CUE.

Ed A. Upton, president of the Ken
tucky Trotting Horse Breeders AS
scciation, cut short his winter fishing
in Florida to celebrate Christmas as a
grandfather at the home of his daugh-
ter in Summit, y. j. While in New
York last week he talked Interestingly
about the trotters, and in speaking of
Lee WORTHY, 203la. remarked that the
crack three year-old of 1922, which he
regards as one of the most perfect
trotting horses the breed has pro-
duced. is of very much the same type
as his great-great-greatg greatgrand-
sire, George Wilkes, 2:22. Mr.. Tiptons
interest in trotting. which began by
reading the copy of Wilkes's Spirit OF
the Times that came weekly to his
fathers partner in Paris, KY. goes
back to the boyhood days when George
Wilkes arrived in Kentucky.
Il can't tell you the day of the month.
he said. .'but it was the Friday before
the first Monday in April, 1878, what
ever date that may have been. re-
member it because the Monday follow
ing was court day, when all the stations
kept in Bourbon county were paraded
in the public square at Paris. and
George Wilkes and Honest Allen. the
horse that came on with him from New
York were there Dave Muckle. who
. died only few weeks ago, came in
charge of the two stations. but they
were shipped to w. II. Wilson. He
n ia .asA 40
lfday they arrived. Quite crowd gath
. cred to see them, for Wilkes. you know.
had held the record for stations, and
Honest Allen was noted as a pole horse
that had beaten them all with running
mate They were first taken out to the
farm Of James Miller. the man who bred
Bourbon Wilkes. Abe Downing and Jim
Monroe, but they made that season and
the next, as l remember 1t, at Ashland
Park, near Lexington, In charge of
Wilson,"
wilkes ResembIed Lee worthy.
George Wilkes was then II years old.
The few colts he had left behind him ".
New York had stamped him as only u
mediocre sire il not q. downright fail,5e,
yet in the nine seasons before he died
he founded I'm Kentucky family which
Is still at the top in harness racing. MI
Upton says he was noticeably muscu-
lar and smoothly turned brown horse
only about Is hands high. with a great
set of legs for one that had seen twelve
years of severe training and campaign
ing. He was not quite so fine as Lee
Worthy. which Mr.. Upton call show
horse as well as a great trotter. but still
closely resembled the fast colt that fifty
wears after traces back TO him no less
than nine times. The order OF descent
in the direct male line is George Wilkes.
William L.; Axtell. 2:12 Axworthy.
2:15Is Guy Axworthy. :0sA; Lee AK
worthy. 5sh Lee Worthy.
Mr.. Upton is of the opinion that at
least three three-year out last sea-
son could. II specially fitted for exhibi-
tions Of speed as distinguished from heat
races, have earned records right around
2:02. and he expects to see at no distant
day one that can beat 100.
"The well bred two-year-old trotter
Of to-day is as well matured as four
year-old was In the time of Jay-Eye-
See.' he declared. Look at The Sena-
tors campaign this year. trotting
race week right through the Grand
Circuit and winding up by winning the
May Day stakes in 2:o6%.
II remember going into the Hollen-
den Hotel at Cleveland one night soon
after we had started the Kentucky
Futurity at Lexington and getting into
an argument with Hickok. Splan and
lot of others about colt racing. When
! said expected TO see two-year-olds
racing in faster time than the figures
. :0sa. that hung over the gate OF the
old Glenvile track 10 commemorate the
record Maud s. made there they all
~Ihought ! was crazy. IL seemed Ike
rash prediction then, but we have lived
10 see It more than fulfilled. Breeding
from the winners has accomplished II
In a wonderfully short time. DO you
know I believe our two-year-old trot-
ters to-day are the best matured and
stoutest horses OF their age i'm the world.
They can do more without hurting them.
some OF our directors thought 1t might
he asking too much of the two-year-
olds at Lexington this year to let then,
race in the Futurity and the May Day
stakes In the same week, but the colts
proved they were wrong by trotting
The fastest three heat race on record
for two-year-oids on Friday after hav-
ing fought out the Futurity on Monday.
Iexfngton's subscription Entries.
Mr.. Upton is enthusiastic over the
subscription plan Of making entries In
early closing races inaugurated at Lex
'ngtof, few years ago. BY this plan
no owner can make more than one sub
scription In a race. lie must name his
horse when making his subscription.
about four months before the race. but
he has the privilege OF naming substi-
;ute two or three weeks before the con-
test, or he can transfer his subscription
before that time TO the owner OF an
other horse While no owner can make
more than one subscription he can start
two horses. provided he can find some
one who has a subscription 10 sell. This
plan, Mr.. Upton says. viii not result In
80 many entries as the common one OF
Laning horses when entries arc made.
hut II will result IN more starters and
IN uniformly better racing. according to
his experience at Lexington. lie be-
lleves IL would accomplish the same re-
suits for every other meeting In the
Grand Circuit. with the possible ..cep-
tion Of the opening meeting. where the
form of the horses is still undisclosed.
The old system admittedly results In
great many ono-sided races without in
crest to the spectators or the specu-
lators. though costing the associations
large sums of money to put on