RACEALONG 199 



fixing his salary at about what an office boy com- 

 mands. That did not stop Tipton. He had made up 

 his mind to be secretary of the Lexington race track. 

 Also when he made good and asked for more money, 

 instead of giving it to him he was told to get it from 

 the privileges. He did. 



The Kentucky Trotting Horse Breeders' Associa- 

 tion was organized in 1873. During its first fifteen 

 years its premiums for racing did not amount to 

 as much as is now given for ten days each year, while 

 the northern visitors instead of seeing contests of 

 the quality which might be expected dropped in to 

 see the Kentucky and Lexington stakes trotted and 

 put in the balance of their time visiting the stock 

 farms. 



When Tipton located in Lexington he saw that the 

 day was coming when the breeder would require 

 more than a pedigree and a colt on the end of a 

 halter strap to command the high dollar. In a word, 

 he believed that the buyer would soon ask what a 

 colt could do in the way of racing. At the same time 

 he was convinced that in order to make the colts' 

 speed worth something it was necessary to increase 

 the earning capacity of the trotter in Kentucky. 



In order to get Lexington into the sunlight he 

 succeeded in having the $7,735 premiums of 1887 

 increased to $11,380 in 1888 and to $25,965 in 1889 

 when the Transylvania was established as a $5,000 

 event. It became the all aged championship event of 

 the year. 



In 1890 the race program at Lexington amounted 



