CHAPTER II 



FROM 2.10 TO TWO MINUTES AND BETTER. TRACKS, 

 VEHICLES, AND WIND-SHIELDS 



FOR years after the trotting record had been 

 carried down to 2.10 by Jay-eye-see, August i, 

 1884, there were discussions as to the ultimate 

 speed of the trotter. Pages were written to 

 prove that the two-minute horse was an impossi- 

 bility. The early arguments were based upon 

 the assumption that there would be no improve- 

 ment in tracks and vehicles. Five years after 

 Maud S. had trotted to a record of 2.o8J at 

 Cleveland the kite track came into use, and 

 on it Sunol beat the record by half a second. 

 It was September 28, 1891, that Sunol trotted 

 to a record of 2.o8J. Seven years after the 

 2.o8f of Maud S. at Cleveland the ball-bearing 

 bicycle sulky was introduced, and it enabled 

 Nancy Hanks in September of that year to 

 trot to a record of 2.04. Nancy Hanks tried 

 to equal 2.o8| to high- wheel sulky and failed, 



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