214 THE WORLDS CHAMPION 



policy had been adopted Walter Cox endeavored to sell a 

 little bay colt to the syndicate. His horses were at the North 

 Randall track getting ready for the opening meeting of the 

 Grand Circuit the first week in July, 1913. As had always 

 been their custom when Walter arrived the Pastime folks 

 inspected his horses in their stalls and then watched them 

 in their work. On this particular year Walter endeavored 

 to interest them in the little bay colt. They saw him out 

 on the track one day and Walter was unable to direct his 

 attention to anything pertaining to the race course. Instead 

 he gazed at the birds, looked over the fence, pricked up his 

 ears at the grey team pulling a float, strutted airily as a 

 piece of paper passed him flying in the wind; indeed did 

 everything but take heed of his lesson. No colt had a better 

 time, no colt took training less seriously. And that appar- 

 ently settled one fact — that he would never become a mem- 

 ber of the Pastime string. 



In due time came the Detroit meeting and Mr. Coburn 

 Haskell and Mr. P. W. Harvey, of the Pastime syndicate, 

 attended. One morning Walter hailed them and said: "I'm 

 going to give that colt a record today." And he did. The 

 mile was trotted in 2:28 or slower and the colt did not make 

 more than two breaks. After the performance Walter found 

 his prospective customers and inquired: "How do you like 

 him?" The only possible reply was made and it was in 

 substance: "There is nothing about him to like." 



But Walter must have seen something in him to like 

 for he talked about him as though he believed he had a 

 fairly bright future and he did not let anything in the way 

 of a rebuff move him from his determination. The Cleve- 

 land gentlemen were leaving Detroit that evening. As they 

 neared the door of their hotel on the way to the night boat 

 they met Walter again and his query to them was: "Ain't 

 you fellows going to buy that colt?" The answer was the 

 familiar two-letter word. "Well," he retorted, "you ought 

 to, and I've got another one up home, the same age; he's a 

 corker. Had to make a gelding of him or I'd have him 

 along, ril sell you either of them for $1500 or I'll sell 

 you both of them for $2500." 



