162 • TRAINING THE TROTTING HORSE. 



picture shows), which, never very full, is now light 

 enough to suggest " bangfng." Indeed, he would pass 

 for a very fair-looking thoroughbred. 



Trouble developed in 1888 in one of his fore feet 

 or pasterns — in fact, it was a little difficult to exactly 

 locate the ailment, and he had to be thrown out of 

 training. The past spring I began, with many mis- 

 givings — "doubting, hoping, fearing" — to work him 

 again. He did not go wholly sound, and indeed was 

 lame in some of his best performances ; but, as the 

 brief summar\^ below of Avhat he did in 1889 shows, he 

 demonstrated himself about as great a trotting-stallion 

 as has yet appeared on the turf, taking a record of 

 2:1 2i, the fastest mile ever trotted by a stallion, with 

 the single exception of the wonderful colt Axtell. 

 After standing unequaled for five years, it is some- 

 what strange that the stallion record should be wiped 

 out in a single season, both by a three-}^ ear-old colt 

 and a stallion whose dam was thoroughbred. But it is 

 the unexpected that always happens. 



For a long time the trouble in Palo Alto's foot 

 puzzled me. Though I never gave up hope entirely 

 that he would train again, the prospect was not cheer- 

 ing. I thought the trouble was in the ankle, but kept 

 watching and finally found that the fore foot had 

 spread too far. I then shod him with a bar shoe, and 

 had clips put on the outside of the shoe to prevent 

 spreading, and the horse commenced to improve at 

 once, though he showed soreness several times last 

 summer. 



Palo Alto's first start in 1889 was at Napa, August 

 13th, where, in the 2:20 class, he beat Bay Kose, Jim 



