CHAPTER XIV. 



Calmar, a horse that needed ouly projjer shoeing to improve his record eight 

 seconds and make him win good races — His gallant fight with Woodford 

 Chief at Cincinnati— A kind word for George A. Baker, once a promi- 

 nent figure on the trotting turf — How Lady De Jarnette was given a fast 

 record by changing her check rein — Hints to owners of horses — Wilson's 

 race in which he went a mile in 2:16i, and the mistakes that caused him to 

 be defeated — Sufficient preparation is what makes good campaigners, while 

 lack of work results disastiously — Fred Folger's career an illusi ration of 

 this — Why Budd Doble put tips on Jack the day before the $10,000 race at 

 Rochester — The peculiar manner in which Wolford's Z. was shod and how 

 it improved him — The pacer Argyle, and the trotter Colonel Lewis — Trot- 

 ters affected in a marked degree by changes of climate— Little Gypsy's 

 great race at Cleveland — Pen sketckes of noted characters on the trotting 

 turf. 



In 1878, Mr. George Baker of Cleveland, Ohio, OAvned a 

 bay gelding called Calmar, that he bought from Mr. Charles 

 Railley of Kentucky, a horseman whose reputation in his 

 particular line was ivorld- wide, he being considered by good 

 judges the best ladies' and gentlemen' s saddle and harness 

 horse trainer in the world. At this time Railley gave trot- 

 ting horses some attention and trained and drove Calmar to 

 a record of about 2:30. He was a very handsome bay horse 

 by Bourbon Chief, one of the strongest made fellows I ever 

 saw. It would have taken, to have fitted him, a "collar as 

 large as for an ordinary carriage-horse. So well propor- 

 tioned and evenly made was he, that no one ever noticed 

 this peculiarity about him unless they looked him over 

 closely. 



After leaving Mr. Railley' s stable Calmar x>assed through 

 the hands of two or three trainers and came to me with his 

 record of 2:30. The first time I drove him was at Utica, 



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