134 ^^^ TWO-MINUTE PACERS 



Ewing in Chicago the following winter and made arrange- 

 ments with him to train the colt the next season. He said he 

 was anxious to send him up to me to find out whether the 

 youngster was of any account. 



"Minor Heir reached my place July 5th, 1907 and I want 

 to say that I was never before so favorably impressed by a 

 horse as I was by this one. I considered him the best horse 

 I ever saw. He was just the right size, fifteen hands and 

 three-quarters of an inch; weighed about 950 pounds and 

 full made all over. 



"The day after he arrived I had my first ride behind him 

 and I made up my mind, then and there, that he was a two- 

 minute pacer and that was after he had only gone a mile in 

 three minutes with the last quarter in but forty seconds. 

 I never trained another horse in my life that I had so much 

 confidence in or felt so sure of. He was the easiest horse 

 to train that I have ever had in my stable; he had no bad 

 manners to correct, no faulty gait to worry about and I do 

 not claim any credit for his developement. He was born, 

 not made. 



"He wore six ounce plain shoes in front with small jar 

 calks at the heel and the toes were 3% inches. Behind he 

 wore four ounce shoes with small heel calks and the toes 

 were 3I/2 inches. He wore a pair of light quarter and tendon 

 boots in front and coronet boots behind. His harness was 

 plain, with blind bridle, snaffle bit and overcheck bit and no 

 extra rigging of any kind. He carried his head rather low 

 and straight as an arrow. He had a splendid mouth but 

 very sensitive. 



"As it was late in the season when he was shipped to me 

 I decided it was not good policy to attempt to race him that 

 year so I took plenty of time for his education. With very 

 moderate training he improved rapidly. Mr. Ewing came 

 to see him about the middle of August and saw him work 

 a mile in 2:25 with the last quarter in Sl^/o seconds over 

 our half mile track and was well pleased with him. But 

 he was anxious to sell him and I was just as anxious for him 

 to keep him and assured him I was confident he would pace 

 a mile in two-minutes or better the following year and, as 



