HISTORY WILL DECIDE. 239 



has stood at the topmost figure; liis list has been announced as full 

 and again full ; and in the face of all this, his chief reputation for sound 

 and promising trotters rests on the produce of mares of this Bellfounder 

 blood. His produce will be most likely to run strongly after the Ab- 

 clallah tyjie. I have observed that in all the in-bred Hambletonians 

 the Abdallah form has the ascendancy. It is manifested in the increase 

 of forequarter, the lightness and narrowness of the hindquarters, and 

 the flatness of the ribs. I have observed this in the produce of several 

 sons of Hambletonian, when the dams were by other sires. The Ab- 

 dallah is apt to get ahead. And so it will be m the produce of Mes- 

 seno-er Duroc. I should not select him as a stallion for a Star mare. 

 I should in no case send a mare with a Mambrino Chief or a strong 

 Duroc jDedigree to him — I should get away as far as possible from 

 them. But keep it in mind that I do not place a low estimate on the 

 blood of either Duroc or Mambrino Chief for trotting quality. Far 

 from it. For my great trotting stallion of the future, or the present, 

 I shall not hastily reject either of these elements, but I wish to take 

 them with a full view of their defective tendencies, and a hope to avail 

 myself of their virtues -without, at the same time, entailing on my stock 

 any of their stains or blemishes. 



And thus will breeders estimate in the future their chances in breed- 

 ing from such a stallion as Messenger Duroc. His large form and 

 great power, with his truly grand trotting conformation, and the pre- 

 cocity of his produce, will induce many to take chances on the sound- 

 ness of the stock produced. His stock, like the Mambrino Chief 

 fainily, ^\'ill trot early, and some may be found to train on and imjjrove 

 to full age. Hence there will be chances for the trotting lists of 2:20 

 and under, to show now and then the names of sons or daughters of 

 Messenger Duroc. At all events, his combination of blood and the 

 results of his career in the stud, will afford some valuable and highly 

 suggestive lessons to the diligent student and the philosophical 

 breeder. 



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