28 RACEALONG 



dale, Peter Manning, the world's champion trotter, 

 Grayworthy, Peter the Brewer, Pearl Benboe, and 

 Pluto Watts. The Connecticut Fair dropped out of 

 the Grand Circuit in 1925. In 1929 the Grand Circuit 

 Club swung into line with a meeting at Charter Oak 

 Park. It was made memorable by the three-year-old 

 colt Valomite winning this Charter Oak Purse from 

 aged horses in 2:03l^. 



Hartford never made a bid for world's records. It 

 was always the aim of the management to supply its 

 patrons with closely contested races. If any of the 

 winners had speed enough to lower the records the 

 showing added to the quality of the entertainment. 

 Smuggler did that in 1876 when he trotted in 2:15l^ 

 and Little Brown Jug in 1883 when he reduced the 

 world's record for pacers to 2:11%. Of the other old 

 time champions Elaine in 1877 reduced the three- 

 year-old record for trotters to 2:28 and the same 

 year A. H. Dore cut the four-year-old record to 

 2:251/2 with Galatea. 



In 1878 Elaine started again at Charter Oak Park. 

 She made a new four-year-old record of 2:24%. At 

 that time she was owned by Senator Stanford. He 

 took her to his Palo Alto Farm in California. In 1880 

 St. Julien made a new world's record over Charter 

 Oak Park. He trotted in 2:111/4. It does not sound 

 fast now but it was a wonderful performance at that 

 time. 



When the flood of new records was started after 

 the appearance of the bike sulky in 1892 Hartford 

 had its quota of fast miles. In 1898 Star Pointer 



