508 A SHORT HISTORY OF THE 



Wm. Jones, of Long Island, and Col. Bond, of Maryland, but 

 the odds on time were immense. The horse named at the post 

 was Boston Blue, who won cleverly, and gained great renown. He 

 subsequently was purchased by Thomas Cooper, the tragedian, who 

 drove him on several occasions between New York and Philadel- 

 phia, thereby enabling him to perform his engagements iu either 

 city on alternate nights." Boston Blue was taken to England, 

 where he trotted 8 miles in 28 m. 55 s., winning a hundred sover- 

 eigns. He also trotted several shorter races, making about 3 m. 

 time. He was a rat-tailed, iron-gray gelding, 16 hands high, and 

 nothing was known of his pedigree. 



Six years later the Albany pony improved on his predecessor's 

 record and trotted a mile on the Jamaica turnpike, near New York, 

 in 2 m. 40 s. 



In 1825 the New York Trotting Club was organized, and estab- 

 lished a trotting course on Long Island. 



In 1828 the Hunting Park Association was established in Phila- 

 delphia — "for the encouragement of the breed of fine horses, espe- 

 cially that most valuable one known as the trotter." Its course, 

 known as the Hunting Park, was located about four miles north of 

 the city, and a correspondent of the English Sporting Magazine, 

 writing of the trotting horses at this course in 1829, mentions 

 the following as being the most famous : 



" Topgallant, by Hambletonian, he by Messenger, trotted 12 

 miles in harness iu 38 minutes ; and 3 miles, under saddle, in 8 m. 

 31 s. He is now nineteen years old, and can trot a mile with one 

 hundred and fifty pounds in 2 m. 45 s. 



" Betsey Baker, by Mambrino, he by Messenger, beat Topgal- 

 lant three miles, under saddle, cai-rying one hundred and fifty 

 pounds, in 8 m. IG s. This mare, when sound, could trot twenty 

 miles within the hour. 



"Trouble, by Hambletonian, a horse of good bottom, trotted two 

 miles in 5 m. 25 s. 



" Sir Peter, by Hambletonian, trotted three miles, in harness, in 

 Sm. 10 s. 



" "Whalebone, by Hambletonian, trotted three miles in 8 m. 18 s. 

 These two. Sir Peter and Whalebone, can be matched cither against 

 Rattler or Tom Thumb, now in England, for any amount. 



"Screwdriver, by Mount Holly, he by Messenger, in a race 

 with Betsey Baker, trotted two three-mile heats in 8 m. 2 s., and 

 8 m. 10 s." 



Indeed, so famous was Screwdriver, that when he died a Phila- 

 delphia paper gave him the following first-class obituary: '-The 

 emperor of horses is no more. Screwdriver is dead. He died sud- 

 denly on Sunday, October 19, 1828, in his training stable, at Phila- 



