A DISASTROUS FIRE. lUO 



old record of 2:23, Alban a record of 2:2i, Carlisle a 

 record of 2:28|, and Whips a record of 2:27^. But the 

 triumph of the year \yas not with the "grown-up" 

 colts, but with a tender youngster. After the news 

 came from Kentucky that Sudie D. had lowered the 

 yearling record of Hinda Eose to 2:35| on October 

 15th, we went to work with i^orlaine (by Xorv^al, son 

 of Electioneer, out of Elaine, 2:20), and on ^November 

 12th sent them back an answer of 2:31|^ for a yearling 

 record. 



A great calamity befell Palo Alto in April, 1888. 

 AYe had a formidable stable ready for the summer cam- 

 paign, when, on the night of April ITth, a destructive 

 fire broke out in the training-stable nearest the track, 

 in which were twenty -two horses, including the cream 

 of our '-string." :Xine were burned to death, viz.: 

 Rexford, 2:23 ; Clifton Bell, 2:21: ; Xorlaine, 2:31J, the 

 great yearling ; Kriss Kringle, that had gone a mile in 

 2:21:; Cedric and Lowell, three-year-olds, that could 

 both beat 2:30 in their two-year-old form ; Howard, a 

 phenomenon that I regarded as one of the greatest 

 young horses we ever had, and two geldings that had 

 beaten 2:30. Palo Alto and Arodi, by Piedmont, were 

 badly burned. Thus as strong a stable as Palo Alto 

 ever had was utterly demoralized. ^Ve had then to 

 take up a new lot of horses, including some that had 

 been turned out as not being very promising. Xot- 

 w^ithstanding this, we in 1888 lowered the two-year-old 

 record to 2:18 with Sunol and gave the following other 

 horses records : Palo Alto Belle (two-year-old), 2:28J ; 

 Azmoor, 2:21f ; Cubic, 2:28i; Ella, 2:29, and Express, 

 2:29i. 



