MAKING. SPEED WITH YEARLINGS. 51 



pearance until you saw her go. She was always 

 fast from her first lesson on the miniature track, and 

 I began working her in April, but gave her only the 

 easiest of work, as the intention was not to start 

 her until she was two years old. But Sudie D.'s 

 brilliant performance in October changed all this, 

 and I then began training the filly in earnest, work- 

 ing her twice a day. In doing this, of course, I took 

 chances of injuring her, and, indeed, of breaking her 

 down. Had we begun earlier, she could have been 

 given more work, and could have been developed to 

 a higher point, with little or no risk, but we never 

 allow such considerations to stand in the way when 

 the supremacy of Palo Alto in colt records is at 

 stake. The filly took her hard work with relish, and 

 improved under it until November 12th, when we 

 felt that she was equal to the task of plucking the 

 fresh laurels from Sudie D.'s brow. The trial was 

 made at the Bay District track. San Francisco, and 

 she trotted the mile in 2:31^4. a yearling record that 

 has a good chance to last as long as Hinda Rose's. 

 The time by quarters was :39, :36. :38. •.3Sy2." 



We will quote also from ^Marvin's description 

 of Hinda Rose's training: 



"Hinda Rosa was our first youngster that earned 

 fame at the early period of yearling form. She was 

 foaled Februarv 22. 1880, and is a brown mare, by 

 Electioneer, out of Beautiful Bells. 2:29^. * * * 

 She was well broken early, and in her yearling form 

 T began working her. Her serious training began 

 July 5. 1881; T had now gotten well into the Palo 

 Alto system of training, and could work the new 

 fanglcd ideas pretty skillfully. She was worked on 

 the method described in chapters further on. until 

 November 5th, the date of her first public perform- 



(Note. — The reader will note a reference to the training paddock 

 svstem used at Palo Alto Farm. This was an improvement over 

 the ordinary paddock. Corners were rounded off, so that when colts 

 were chased around they would not trot up into a corner and 

 stop. Later two covered tracks were constructed, one 313 feet 

 in circumference, the other 5^6 feet around. After the colts 

 were thoroughly halter broken they were turned into these tracks 

 and chased about to develop their speed. The Palo Alto miniature 

 track system had ouite a vogue, as did the other old-time plan of 

 hitching a colt in double harness by the side of an older horse, but 

 both methods have practically gone out of use.) 



