AMERICAN TROTTERS. 77 



be settled by trial ; she undoubtedly is capable of trotting in very fast 

 time, and we hope to see her fulfill Mr. Bonner's expectations during 

 the coming season. 



Maud S. and Belle Vara are tied as to record, 2:08^, for fourth 

 place. Of the former we need say little. The chestnut daughter of 

 Harold and Miss Russell is now in her nineteenth year, and, although 

 possible, it is hardly probable that she will ever again trot to as low a 

 record as her own 2:08^, made with an old-style sulky, July 30, 1885, 

 and so many years untouched as the fastest trotting record of the world 

 Maud S. has been a queen indeed ; and, while we doff our hat to Sunol, 

 Martha Wilkes and Nancy Hanks, we cannot fail to record our loving 

 admiration for the great mare whose name is yet a household word 

 throughout her native land. 



Belle Vara (foaled 1887) is a black mare by Vatican, out of Nell by 

 Estille's Eric a son of Ericsson. Her 2:08^ was made September 30, 

 1892, in the first heat of a race against Walter E. and three other horses, 

 at Terre Haute, Indiana. Although Belle Vara had the advantage of 

 Maud S. in being hooked to a bicycle sulky, the fact that her record was 

 made in a neck and neck race with other horses should place her on a 

 fairly equal footing as to actual merit with the ex-queen, whose 2:08^ 

 was made against time. Vatican is by Belmont, out of Vara, by Rys- 

 dyk's Hambletonian a statement which explains sufficiently well the 

 wonderful speed of Vatican's daughter, Belle Vara. 



The fastest geldings at the close of racing season 1892, are : Jay 

 Eye See, 2:10; Lord Clinton and Little Albert, each 2:10^; Guy, 

 2:10^, and St. Julien, 2:11^. 



Jay Eye See was first on the gelding list in 1888, and no gelding 

 has yet supplanted him. His breeding, description, and wonderful 

 pacing record of 2:06^ made this season, have already been given. 



Lord Clinton and Little Albert, tied for second place at 2:10^, are 

 both newcomers, and as their records show, are phenomenally fast. 

 Lord Clinton is a handsome, mouse-black gelding, carrying a large per 

 cent, of Morgan blood his sire being Denning's Allen, he by Honest 

 Allen a son of Ethan Allen. Clinton's dam is a speedy-looking little 

 running mare of unknown breeding, but supposably bearing Thorough- 

 bred blood. His record of 2:10^ was made with a bicycle sulky at 

 Independence, Iowa, September i, 1892, and was o-ne of the most re- 

 markable performances it has ever been the writer's good fortune to 

 witness. His main competitors in the race were Lobasco a bay stallion 

 driven by McHenry and Little Albert, who were made even favorites 

 in the pools. Little Albert was really believed to be the better horse, 

 but the fact that the stallion was to be driven by McHenry brought him 

 up to even money with the chestnut gelding. Clinton was practically 

 overlooked by the "talent," and his backers secured long odds and 



