142 THE HORSE 



holds the record for a high wheel on an oval track, when 

 she trotted in 2.08f , at Cleveland, in 1885. On a kite track 

 the bay mare Sunol beat the record of Maud S. by half a 

 second, trotting at Stockton in 2.08^, in 1891, but the one 

 long turn of such a configuration had a great advantage in 

 point of speed over the ordinary track with two turns. Kite 

 tracks were not popular with the spectators and soon went 

 out of use. 



It is estimated that a bicycle sulky is five seconds faster 

 for a mile than the old high wheel. When comparing the 

 respective merits of present horses with those of an earlier 

 date these conditions, and also the constant improvement 

 of the tracks, must be borne in mind, as they are all to the 

 disadvantage of the older horses. The art of balancing 

 horses by shoeing has been also brought to greater perfec- 

 tion. Smuggler used to trot at first with shoes weighing 32 oz. 

 on each fore-foot, which were afterwards reduced to 25 oz., 

 and when trotting a great race against Goldsmith Maid, at 

 Cleveland, July 27, 1876, he had the misfortune to cast one 

 of his shoes more than a quarter mile from home, which 

 must have caused him much loss of balance. Even then he 

 was only beaten by a length, Goldsmith Maid winning the 

 race in 2.15|. It is a remarkable fact in connection with 

 this celebrated mare, who was the first to reach 2.17, that 

 she was seventeen years of age when she made her best 

 record, 2.14, at Mystic Park, Boston, on September 2, 1874. 

 Such shoes as were deemed necessary for Smuggler are, 

 however, very exceptional burthens, and when Lou Dillon 

 made the record for wagon 2.0 at Readville, Massachusetts, 

 in 1903, she wore 4J oz. shoes on her fore-feet and only 2f oz. 

 shoes behind. 



Lou Dillon was foaled in 1898, and so was five years old 

 when she made her great record, 1.58^, at Memphis, 

 October 24, 1903, driven by Millard Sanders. Her great 

 rival. Major Delmar, a gelding, also made his record the 

 same year, trotting at Memphis in 1.59f , when six years old, 

 under the guidance of E. E. Smathers, but he had the help 

 of a pace-maker in front with a dirt-shield. The record for 

 stallions is held by Cresceus, who, driven by his owner and 



