strader's c. m. clay jr. 379 



the produce of this horse must show results of value to the breeders 

 of trottino- horses. 



Strader's Clay is a brown horse, almost black, with no white except 

 a very large clear star in his forehead, and a sprinkling of white hairs 

 all over his body. He stands close to sixteen hands high, but has the 

 short, close leverage of the Messenger family. He is a pure Messen- 

 ger — one of the purest living. 



His measure from hip to hock is 37^ inches, and length of thigh 23 

 inches. 



His action is of the elastic kind, with a sharp and steady stroke, 

 reaching his heels out in the rear, but gathering very quick. He is a 

 pure trotter, and at twenty years old could turn a mile track in 2:30 

 with ease; has trotted in public in 2:28, and is capable of even better 

 speed. But for his age, in form, gait, temper and purity of blood he 

 ranks in the front line of American roadster stallions. 



In the color of his descendants he does not follow the standard 

 black that prevailed so long in his own family. Bays are very 

 numerous. 



The following extracts, though taken from a breedei-'s circular, 

 correctly state the history and prominence of Strader's C. M. Clay 

 Jr.: 



In the fall of 1869, when sixteen years old, he made a public record at Law- 

 renceburg, Ind., of 2 : SO^sf ; and in 1870, over the Buckeye Course at Cincinnati, 

 lapped Pilot Temple in a heat of 2 : SO*^, though he struck himself during 

 the heat and had to be drawn. In 1865, he was driven a trial to a wagon, at 

 Chicago, in 2 : 26, and has taken numerous premiums at the Fairs in Ken- 

 tucky, Ohio and Indiana, and was never beaten but once. He is now in fine 

 health, and looks and moves like a young horse, and can speed a 2:30 gait. 



Harry Clay, by C. M. Clay, 1877, his second on the turf, made a record of 

 2:23*£, and won the 2: 27 purse at Cynthiana, Ky. 



. His prepotency as a trotting sire is proven by the remarkable fact, that out 

 of a thoroughbred race mare he sired American Clay, who is not only a 

 trotter himself of high order, but has sired numerous winners of hotly con- 

 tested races in fast time. 



The trotting records show that more than one-half of the noted trotters ia 

 the male line of the Clay family, have descended from Cassius M. Clay Jr., 

 and his celebrated half brother, George M. Patchen, since they came into the 

 stud. He is the sire of American Clay, General Hatch, Neeley's Harry Clay, 

 Byerly's Clay, of Owosso, Mich., (public trial in 2 : 27)^), James C. Norral, 

 Clement, Conscript, Kentucky Clay, Katie Clay, Bertie Clay, Strader, Sun- 

 beam, Robin Clay, Bob Strader, Whip Clay, Minnie, Crittenden, and many 

 other good ones. Crittenden, at two years old, trotted a trial in public of half 

 a mile in 1 : 19*£, and at three years old trotted a full mile in 2 : 29, and 

 trotted a quarter in 33 seconds — a 2: 12 gait. 



