Prepotent Sons of Hambletonian 171 



Messenger Duroc 



When Charles Backman started to make Stony 

 Ford the greatest trotting nursery of the country 

 he put more faith in Messenger Duroc than any 

 other stalHon on the place. This rangy bay horse 

 stood 16 hands, was foaled in 1865 and was by 

 Rysdyk's Hambletonian, dam Satinet by Roe's 

 Abdallah Chief (he by Abdallah son of Mambrino 

 out of a daughter of Philips by Duroc) ; second 

 dam Catbird by Whistle Jacket (son of Mambrino 

 by Messenger out of a daughter of American 

 Eclipse) ; third dam Lyon mare by Bertholf Horse 

 by Messenger ; and fourth dam by Duroc by im- 

 ported Diomed. It was an attractive pedigree, 

 and Messenger Duroc was of commanding ap- 

 pearance with bold trotting action. One of his 

 weaknesses was gummy legs, and it was trans- 

 mitted. Early speed came from Messenger Duroc, 

 and for a time he was quite the fashion. His 

 admirers even pointed to him as the successor of 

 Hambletonian. But his sons and daughters, on 

 account of leg infirmity, did not stand up to the 

 severe work of long campaigns, and he fell into 

 disfavor. The contribution of Messenger Duroc 

 to the 2.30 list was 22 trotters and one pacer; 



