SIMMONS, STONER, AND THAYER 



his career as farmer and breeder of trotting horses, 

 removing from Mt. Sterling to Bourbon County, 

 Ky., where he was remarkably successful. In 1873 

 he purchased Strathmore and used him to good ad- 

 vantage in the stud. The best entire son of Strath- 

 more is Santa Claus, 2.17^, sire of Wm. Penn, 

 2.O7J, and of Sidney, sire of Sidney Dillon, the 

 sire of Dolly Dillon and Lou Dillon. The latter 

 was the champion trotter of 1903. In 1876 and 

 in 1883 Colonel Stoner held what might be called 

 weeding-out sales, progress being his watchword, and, 

 in his catalogue of 1889, ne was a ^^ e to sav: 



" Not one of the fifty-five animals in my stud is 

 by a horse that has failed to trot fast himself, or sire 

 speed." 



The stallions were Baron Wilkes, whose fee was 

 $350, and Mambrino Russell. The latter was a 

 chestnut horse of 16.1 hands, by Woodford Mam- 

 brino, 2.21^, out of Miss Russell, the dam of Maud 

 S. and Nutwood. This horse was formerly owned 

 by Mr. Paul Dana of New York, who purchased 

 him at Woodburn on account of his rare combina- 

 tion of blood. His success in the stud was not as 

 pronounced as had been anticipated. The tendency 

 to pace which he transmitted evidently came from 

 Pilot Jr., the sire of his dam, and this pacing ten- 

 dency seemed to grow with the generations. Evolu- 

 tion presents some curious phases, and Herbert 

 Spencer was moved to remark : 



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