17 



10PEFUL is a gray gelding, standing a little 

 over fifteen hands high. Although a horse of 

 great length, he is short in the back, and with 

 a remarkable evenness of development through- 

 out his entire make-up. His style of trotting is welUnigh 

 perfection, going apparently with the most perfect ease to 

 himself, and with the most complete control over his entire 

 machinery. He was foaled in 1866, and was got by God- 

 frey's Patchen, a son of the famous trotting stallion, George 

 M. Patchen, out of a gray mare bred and raised by Daniel 

 Fletcher, in Buckfield, Oxford County, Maine. The pedi- 

 gree of Hopeful's dam was until recently unknown ; but 

 a writer in Wallace's Monthly has ascertained that she 

 was sired by the Bridgham Horse, l( whose exact breeding 

 was never known in Buckfield, yet he was always under- 

 stood to have been sired either by Winthrop Messenger or 

 a son of his. He left behind a valuable race of horses 

 noted for pluck and endurance, and invariably gray in 

 color." " She had an open, slashing gait, a great stridcr, 

 and could, at that time, show a three-minute gait handy." 

 Hopeful's grand-dam was a rapid-gaited mare by Whalebone 

 Morgan, a son of Sherman Morgan, one of the very best of 

 the Morgan horses. Hopeful's first race was on August 25. 

 1 873, at Springfield, in the $600 Purse for all horses that had 

 never trotted for premium or money, where he was fourth to 

 Harry Spanker, Dolly Varden and Jennie, and only finish- 

 ing in front of Lady Lightfoot, At Plainville, Sept. 9, 1873, 

 he improved his position, and obtained the second place to 

 Commodore Perry, in the $1000 Purse for three-minute 

 horses, two others finishing behind him ; and two days 

 Inter, at the same place, he was again beaten by Com- 

 modore Perry, this time only winning the third place. 

 Hopeful's next appearance was in the three-minute race at 

 Prospect Park, September 23d, where he scored his first 

 victory, defeating Everett Ray, who was second, Lady 

 Walton, Lizzie Keeler, and nine others, in three straight 

 heats, in 2:30 2i28 2<30|. Four days later, at the same 

 place, Hopeful continued his victorious career, carryipg off 

 the 2:45 Purse in 2(30 2;32} 2*26 2;27 2:25; Everett 

 Kay taking the first heat, and Miss Miller the second heat, 

 while Hopeful won the three last. IJe was then taken to 

 Canada, and in the Free for, all Purses, at Fredericktown, 

 N. B., he defeated Queen and Gypy Queen in three 



straight heats, in 2:41 2;40i 2:42} ; and at -^, 



where he trotted against time, and lost. Hopeful commenced 

 his second season at Hartford, August 27, 1874, where he 

 defeated Susie, Kansas Chief, Lucille Golddust, Joker and 

 Ella Wright, in 2:25 2:23} 2;23f. On the first of the 

 following month, at Mystic Park, he was third to Bodine 

 and Lula, in the 2:24 Purse, Susie, Castle Boy and George 

 being in the rear. Hopeful won the third heat in 2:23, 



thereby lowering his record two seconds. At Beacon Park, 

 in September, he could only obtain second place to Bodine, 

 who was going unusually well that year. On the 23d of 

 the same month, Hopeful showed his heels to Susie, Music 

 and the Spotted Colt, in the 2:24 Purse, in 2:27 2:23 

 2;25}. At Taunton, Mass , one week later, he defeated 

 Parker's Abdallah and Billy Platter, in 2:34} 2:37 2:361 , 

 and, turning his head towards Goshen, defeated Thomas L. 

 Young, Huntress, Kansas Chief and Tanner Boy, in 2:28} 

 2-;27} 2:27} 2:26, Thomas L. Young capturing the 

 first heat. At Fleetwood Park, on Oct. 26th, he concluded 

 his campaign by defeating Thomas L. Young, Sensation, 

 Kansas Chief and Young Bruce, in 2!22i^2:24^2:21 

 2:22}, Thomas L. Young again taking the first heat. His 

 record now stood at 2:21. At Fleetwood Park, on May 

 22, 18^5, he was unsuccessful, Kansas Chief winning, with 

 Sensation second. He now lay by until August 5th, when 

 he appeared at Poughkeepsie, in the $4500 Purse for horses 

 that have never beaten 2;18, and defeated Lady Maud, 

 Judge Fullorton, who took the first heat, Huntress and two 

 others, in 2:212:2212:282:28. At Hampden Park, 

 three weeks later, he defeated Lady Maud and Kansas 

 Chief, in 2;28 2:24 2:20 ; and on the last day of that 

 month, at Hartford, he met Lady Maud, Lucille Golddust 

 arid Henry, when a fine race ensued. Hopeful won the 

 first two heats in 2:18} 2:22}; Lady Maud the nest two 

 in 2:19^2:20}, and Hopeful the fifth and the race, in 2:23}. 

 He had now reduced his record to Lady Thome's famous 

 figures, but now it was destined to a still further reduction; 

 and at the same place, on Sept. 3d, he defeated the famous 

 American Girl, in three straight heats, in 2:17} 2:18} 

 2:18}, thus placing him side by side with the glorious 

 Dexter, Great as the achievement was, Dan Mace, in his 

 " Experience with Trotters," recently published in the Spirit 

 of the Times, says, ''On that day Hopeful could have trotted 

 a milo in 2;12, although his best time was only 2:17}. I 

 never let loose of his head, never asked him to go, and never 

 wanted him to go ; and in po place in that mile did he go 

 as fast as he could- . . I don't think there is a horse alive 

 that can outrtrot him now ; not a horse on the turf that can 

 outspeed him-" This was Hopeful's last race until this year. 

 In 1876, owing to a foot difficulty, he was unable to trot, 

 but, June, 1877i a * Fleetwood Park, he started in the Freer 

 for-all Purse, with Judge Fullerton, Albemarle, and Ade- 

 laide, and astonished his owner, driver, and everybody else, 

 by his performance, winning the first heat in 2;18, by 

 three-quarters of a second the fastest mile ever trotted on 

 the track, and taking the rape handily without a skip, in 

 three heats. Tiine, 2:18} 2:20 2:17}. At Boston, July 

 23, he defeated Smuggler in three straight heats, in 2:22 

 2:19} 2:20}. 



