RECOLLECTIONS OF MEN AND HORSES 



" In looking over some old papers I came across 

 a copy of a letter written by my father six or seven 

 years ago, an extract from which may be of interest 

 to you. He had been ridiculed for buying a filly 

 from a thoroughbred mare and expecting to raise 

 trotters from her. The following is his answer: ' I 

 bought her (Alma Mater) at the time and because 

 the Australians were showing more speed and bot- 

 tom at the running gait than any other. It is per- 

 fectly competent for a pacing mare to transmit speed 

 at a changed gait, but for a running-bred mare to 

 produce speed at the trotting gait well, that is sim- 

 ply ridiculous, according to many who ought to know 

 better.' Where are the critics now, since the once 

 despised * running-bred weed' has become famous? 

 In your article on first decision (at the National 

 Horse Show) over Mambrino King you give last 

 year's records of the produce of Alma Mater. One 

 or two changes should be made. Almeta has lowered 

 her record to 2.32^, and I am reliably informed that 

 she has trotted in a race in 2.24!. Alline has trotted, 

 timed by half a dozen competent timers, in 2.26^. 

 Alcyone has thirteen foals three years old this year, 

 only four of which, so far as I know, have been 

 trained, namely, Silverone, 2.24^, timed against 

 Patron in a race in 2.20, and trotted a last half on 

 the outside of Washington Park track (Chicago) in 

 i.o6J; lona, 2.38!, timed in Gasconade Stake, St. 

 Louis, in 2.24^; Dark Night, 2.39!, timed in Ken- 

 tucky Stake in 2.30, and Allehayone, record over a 

 half-mile track 2.42^. Three three-year-olds to trot 

 publicly in 2.30, out of a total of thirteen, is a 

 pretty large percentage. Unless my memory fails 

 me, Alcyone has been shown for roadster and trotting 

 stallion about twenty times, suffering defeat only at the 



286 



