340 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



tor, a stallion that, botli on account of his superlatively 

 good breeding and the remarkable performances of his full 

 brother Dexter should never have been neglected during the 

 best years of his life, as he certainly was during the seasons 

 he made in New York and the first part of his career in 

 Kentucky, this neglect being so marked that at the time he 

 was thirteen years old he had sired barely a dozen colts. 

 But when Director, Phallas and Jay-Eye-See came out in 

 one season Dictator attained a fame equaled by that of no 

 other trotting sire of the day, and the extreme speed, race- 

 horse qualities of his get were the theme of conversation 

 among horsemen and breeders. I think that Jay-Eye-See 

 is one of the best examples of intelligent breeding I have 

 ever seen. As conservative a man as Mr. Doble told me, 

 after driving him a losing race that he was the only horse 

 he had ever seen that put him in mind of Dexter, and lie 

 was very positive that sooner or later he would beat every 

 record that had been made by a trotting horse, which sub- 

 sequent events amply proved. His performances, as well 

 as those of Phallas and Director, greatly increased the 

 value of his sire, and Dictator has for several years stood 

 at the highest fee of any stallion in the land: $500. He is 

 the property of Maj. H. C. McDowell & Son, who also 

 have on their historic farm, "Ashland," the stallion King 

 Rene, a son of Belmont whose get are entering the 2:30 list 

 every year, while their beauty of form and elegance of car- 

 riage have gained for them and their sire the blue ribbons 

 on many occasions where the bluest blood in the land was 

 shown against them, and for several seasons, when the 

 McDowell farm made a specialty of these show-ring exhibi- 

 tions King Rene and his sons and daughters were easily 

 victorious over all competitors. In the race where Director 

 made his record of 2:17 I drove the bay gelding Wilson 

 against him, winning two heats and making a dead heat 

 with Director, giving AVilson that day a record of 2:16J. 

 This horse was by George Wilkes, a horse that had been 

 owned during the major part of his life by my old-time 



