THE HORSE. 739 



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It seems, however, that during the year that Maud S. remained in New York she did 

 not come quite up to Mr. Yanderbilt s expectations, so with his characteristic good sense he 

 sent her back to Capt. Stone, of Cincinnati, the gentleman of whom he bought her, with the 

 request that he would take her in hand and bring her back to her old form. 



Upon receiving Maud S. Capt. Stone put her under the charge of her former trainer, in 

 whose hands she rapidly improved, and soon the most remarkable accounts respecting her 

 speed were afloat. She is described as follows: 



&quot;Maud S. the champion trotter of the world, is a long-bodied mare, standing 15 hands 

 2 inches high at the withers and fully 16 hands high at the hips. Her weight, in trotting 

 condition, is 960 Ibs., and her stride, when going at her best, on a straight track, is about 18 

 feet. In her great feat at Chicago, September 1 8th, when she trotted a mile in 2 : 1 Of, her 

 stride, when coming down the home stretch against a high wind, was a little less than 17 

 feet. She wears shin boots and scalpers, and carries a 15-oz. shoe, with a 4-oz. toe-weight 

 in front, and an 8-oz. shoe behind. She is usually driven in a bridle, without blinds. She 

 is a mare of very strong will, and it is necessary to handle her with great gentleness. A 

 man who would fight her, would soon render her entirely unmanageable. And in this she is 

 the counterpart of her grand am Enchantress, as well as of her sire Harold and his full 

 brother Lakeland Abdallah. The old mare had the courage and resolution of the bull-dog, 

 and this quality descended to all of her produce. Harold and Lakeland Abdallah both 

 possess it to a remarkable degree, and, if they had fallen when young into gentle, careful 

 hands, as Maud S. fortunately did, it is certain that they would have developed into animals 

 of far greater value even than they proved to be.&quot; 



When brought out for a race, Maud S. is as steady as a clock, and moves with that easy, 

 gliding motion which steals over the ground at a pace that deceives everything but the 

 timer s watch. This gives her a great advantage over horses of nervous and excitable 

 temperaments. The account of her best achievement is thus given by one of the journals of 

 the day: 



&quot;Twenty thousand people gathered at the race-course at Buffalo, N. Y., August llth, to 

 witness an attempt to lower the record of the noted mare, Maud S. She was accompanied 

 by a running horse who could not keep up with her, the track being in perfect condition for 

 trotting. Maud S. trotted the first quarter in 32f, the half in 1: 05, the three-quarters in 

 l:37, and the full mile in 2:10. This is the fastest time ever made, and the race was 

 made under the eye of her owner, Wm. H. Vanderbilt, and at his desire. Last year she 

 closed the season with a record of 2:10| ; at Pittsburgh, Pa., a few days ago, she made a 

 mile in 2:10, and has now still farther reduced her record. Her driver expects to see her 

 make a mile in 2: 08.&quot; 



Santa Claus. This famous animal belongs to the Hambletonian family, being the 

 son of Strath more, a grandson of Rysdyk s Hambletonian, a great grandson of Abdallah. 

 His dam, Lady Thorne, Jr., was by Williams Mambrino, a grandson of Mambrino Chief. 

 In color, Santa Claus is a dark bay, with black mane, tail, and legs, while his fore-top reaches 

 nearly to his nostrils, and conceals a small star in the forehead, the only white there is on 

 him. He has a well-formed chest and body, and limbs admirably adapted to speed. It is 

 stated that when first foaled he was so ill-formed and ungainly that the owner of his sire 

 endeavored to hire the breeder of the colt to kill him, whose proposition came near being 

 accepted. This valuable animal is at present owned by Col. P. A. Finigan of California. 

 His best time thus far is 2:17^, a record that will probably be reduced in the future, as he 

 is now in his prime, and possesses great endurance and energy. 



GrOV. Sprague is a coal-black stallion, without a white hair, but his muzzle and flanks 

 show wine-colored tints. He is slightly taller at the withers than at the rump, with a short 

 back, powerfully muscled, and limbs sinewy and strong. He possesses great endurance, as 



