1876 MEETING. 33 



Favored by location and a date that brings its summer 

 meetings at a time when the horses are at their best, the 

 Cleveland Association in 1876 started a series of record 

 breaking meetings which have never been surpassed, if 

 equalled. For some reason there never has been a large 

 meeting at other points either in the east or the west on 

 "Cleveland Week," and while the Cleveland Club or its 

 successor, the Cleveland Driving Park Company, has 

 never been in favor of stakes or large instalment plan 

 purses, it has always had the best horses in training and 

 contests which each year add a few more names to the 

 record-breaking pages of light harness history. For the 

 Centennial year meeting the Cleveland Club gave the 

 trotters $24,000 for nine races and $1,000 for two run- 

 ring events. The racing began with the 2 136 class, which 

 was won by the gray mare Mambrino Kate, her first heat 

 in 2:31 being the slowest trotted during the week, and 

 closed with a two-mile dash in which the three-year-old 

 colt Waddel, by Jack Malone, defeated War Jig and 

 Vicksburg in 3:45^. In the days that intervened Lula 

 reduced the track record to 2 117^2, in a trip against time, 

 but her performance was forgotten when the free-for-all 

 was reached. The following description of that great 

 race was written by Hamilton Busbey for the Turf, Field 

 and Farm, and published in its issue for August 4, 1876: 



"When the bell rang for the open-to-all horses to- ap- 

 pear, a buzz of expectation was heard on all sides. It was 

 known that Lula would not respond to the call, she hav- 

 ing made an exhibition the previous day, besides she was 

 not in the bloom of condition ; but Lucille Gokldust was 

 there to battle for the Babylon stable, and she was a mare 

 of tried speed and bottom. The knowledge that Lula 

 would not start steadied the quaking nerves of Doble, 



