RACEALONG 291 



Jack London 



In the fall of 1911 when Lester Dore was racing 

 at Hills Grove, R. L, he was called over the long 

 distance from Worcester, Mass., and requested to 

 drive a chestnut gelding named Baker, that was 

 entered to start the following day. As he did not 

 have a horse in the event, Lester said he would take 

 the mount. 



The following morning when Dore went to Baker's 

 stall to prepare him for the race, he found a very 

 sick horse. Something that looked like distemper 

 had developed during the night. Instead of racing 

 Baker, Dore called on the Secretary and cancelled 

 the engagement. Baker was shipped to Worcester. 

 Nothing more was heard of him until the following 

 spring when the members of the matinee club were 

 busy preparing their horses for a home series and 

 an inter-city meeting with Springfield. 



In the interval, A. E. Richardson of Flint, Mich., 

 located at Worcester. He began training Baker. 

 When Richardson arrived. Baker was wearing an 

 equipment that goes with a dangerous horse. As a 

 starter, the Michigan reinsman shortened his toes, 

 reduced the weight of his shoes, threw aside his 

 boots, and standing martingale, and substituted an 

 old fashioned side check for the overdraw. 



In a few days Baker was a perfectly mannered 

 trotter. When the matinees started, it was just play 

 for him to defeat the Worcester horses. Joseph 

 Roberts, his owner, like all French-Canadians, was 

 very proud of his trotter. 



