546 A SHORT HISTORY OF THE 



July 25, 1879, ia 2 m. 12J s., faster than any horse ever trotted 

 or paced before ; but the pacer was of no account that day, and 

 Hopeful won easily. At Minneapolis, September 5, he beat the 

 gray pacer Lucy, and at Quincy, 111., he beat her again, the time 

 at the latter place being 2 m. IG-i s., 2 m. 17J s., 2 m. 17 s., and 

 2 m. 18i s. At Cedar Rapids he trotted against time, but could 

 do no better than 2 m. 23^ s., and with this failure he closed his 

 labors for the season. He is now in his prime, and although a 

 difficult horse to keep in condition, he is a regular sticker, and if 

 well next season may reasonably be expected to eclipse all his pre- 

 vious performances. 



" Le roi est niort ! vive le roi !" The news of the withdrawal of 

 the mighty Rarus from the turf had hardly grown cold, before a 

 mightier than he dashed from the obscurity in which he had re- 

 mained for four years, and almost at a single bound gained the proud 

 position which Rarus had vacated. St. Julien, whose mile in 2 m. 

 12 J s. stands at the head of the record, is a handsome bay gelding, 

 15f hands high, with two white feet and a slight star in his fore- 

 head. His entree into trotting society is interesting. One bright 

 sunny day in 1873, Mr. James Gralway, who owned a half-mile 

 track at the beautiful village of Groshen in Orange county, N. Y., 

 was attracted by the appearance of a handsome bay colt who spun 

 around the track at a rapid gait. The track when not wanted for 

 the regular races was generously thrown open to any of the neigh- 

 boring farmers or village horsemen who wished to try the mettle of 

 their horses, and being kept in good condition, was frequented 

 daily by many who imagined they were the happy possessors of 

 future Dextcrs or Edwin Forrests. The driver of the colt in ques- 

 tion was a stranger, old and shabby, and the wagon and harness 

 were in keeping with the driver's appearance, but the horse's action 

 was so good and his speed so evident, that Mr. Galway hailed the 

 stranger and questioned him about the breeding of the colt. This 

 could not but be satisfictory, for right royal blood coursed through 

 his veins. He was foaled in 1869, his sire being Volunteer, the 

 greatest of all the sons of the dead hero of Chester, and his dam 

 a daughter of Coming's Harry Clay. At Mr. Galway's request 

 the farmer drove him twice round the track at such a rapid gait that 

 Mr. Galway, who held the watch on him, quickly consummated 

 the bargain, and paid the delighted owner the priced asked, $600. 

 He took him home, but did not train him until the fall of 1874, 

 when he was placed in the hands of Mr. William Sargent, who 

 drove him in all his races until he went to California. He 

 made his debut at Poughkeepsie, August 4, 1875, in the 2 m. 

 38 s. class. There were twelve starters. Great Eastern, the 

 Goliath of the turf, won the first heat in 2 m. 30 s., with St. 



