The daily independent., 1937-08-13
By JACK CUDDY

! chester, N. Y, aug. l2.-U.R)-
Giovanni Miami dreams of Mus
cletonian:
The medium-Sized Italian with
sparse iron gray hair stood there
on the grassy mound under the
maple trees and gazed up rever-
emily at the red granite monument
that commentaries the birthplace
and grand career of Hambleton-
Eian
: Maiani doesn't speak English
but the look in his eyes as he
stood there told of his love for
LhorSeS-and for one horse, in par
sticular. Muscleton.
% AT the base of the red granite
tcampanile is an inscription. 1t
reads: "Hambletonian, the great
progenitor of trotters- born May
IS, 1S49; died March 81, 1876"
That was the horse after which
iGoShen'S great Hambletonian clas-
sic was named.
Maiani'S horse. MuScleton, is a
descendant of Hambletonian. Al
so MuScleton is undiSputed trot-
ting champion of all Europe. Sig
nor Maiani of Rome, Italy, be-
lieveS Muscleton is champion of
the world. And he came to this
country recently, trying to ar
range a match race between his
champion and E. H. Bakers
Speedy Greyhound. He expects to
close the match early next week.
Giovanni saw Greyhound'S un-
successful attempt to break Peter
--Manning'S 1863 trotting record
for the mile at Goshen Tuesday.
Through translator he told op-
orators later: Greyhound is a very
fine horse. When 1 see him run. he
is so fast perSpire cold. But prob
ably Greyhound'S owner perSpireS
colder when he sees Muscletone
run"
In other words, he is still conf
dent that his horse is best.
He says there's no way of tell
ing which is the faster trotter be-
cause of the different methods of
starting races. In Europe trotting
heats are started from the stand
still. while in American the run
ming start is used. He insists that
if MuScleton tits with Greyhound
n the United States, that Grey
hound must later come to Italy
for return match.
AS Maiani stood by the Hamble-
tOnian campanile. in this little
onion, celery, and lettuce town, he
talked of his great champion. Thru
his interpreter. j. A. MarSico, he
described Muscleton as being a
bay colt, slightly less in height
than the average trotter, but beau
tifully proportioned-with a small
head and thin neck that thickenS
gracefully into a sturdy chest. He
is an unusually intelligent and af-
fectionate animal. He has partici-
pated in 45 European races and
lost 10. But every one of his de-
featS were in handicap affairs
where he gave the winner an ad-
vantage of between 25 and 100 me-
ters. Never has he lost a Euro
pean race from an even start. His
fastest time was registered at
Croise La Roche, France, when he
covered a thousand meters in
1:13 is. He has the combined
speed. and stamina of a true
champion.
Maiani bought Muscletone for
$40 900 in 1888 from Commander
Arturo Riva who had purchased
him in the United States from E.
S, Schaffer'S Cold Stream farm at
Lexington, KY. He was bred on
the same farm as Lord Jim, 1884
HambletOnian winner. MuScletone
competed in that Hambletonian
and won but one heat. The son of
Mr.. McElvin- Ruth Chenault is six
years old and consistently running
at peak form.
Before Giovanni purchased his
champion, he was partner in a
German synthetic food manufac-
turing plant at Hamburg. Muscle
tones fine performances so fas-
cinated him that he quit the food
business and concentrated on
breeding trotters at his estate near
Rome.
- At 46, Giovanni has wife and
three daughters but it seems
that his first love is his horse. And
today, by Hambletonian'S monu-
ment, he said he would build a
Similar campanile for MuScletOne
at Rome when his grand trotter
died. Meanwhile he would start
movement in Italy to have an
AL European trotting classic at
Rome every year called the Mus
cletonian."