spofford's charter oak. 53 



from the turf after having been campaigned over half 

 of Europe and part of South America. This good 

 showing had a dark side, as his trainer began to be 

 troubled with a kind of malarial fever and was forced 

 to employ others to give his horses their fast work. 

 At Cleveland, Spofford stole away from Gus Wilson 

 and trotted a third mile close to 2:16, and did it so 

 easily that those who timed it would scarcely believe 

 their watches. One morning at Rochester, Spofford 

 brushed away from Doble and trotted a quarter in 

 thirty-two seconds. Turner saw it and turned pale, as 

 the horse had won a seven-heat race at Buffalo the 

 week before. Thornless defeated him at Rochester, 

 and after an easy race at Utica, where he won, Spof- 

 ford was shipped to Hartford to be drawn to an edge 

 for the Charter Oak Stake. From the hour of his 

 arrival until the race was called one or two men 

 were in the stall with the horse night and day. 

 Turner boarded near the track, was at the stable by 

 daybreak, and never left it until nightfall. He 

 watched the horse in his work, fast and slow, as 

 closely as a mother does a favorite child, and brought 

 him to the wire ready to trot for his life. 



Charter Oak Stake day was a memorable one in 

 Turner's history. Never was the green cap donned 

 with as much determination and never, since May 

 Queen and Nettie were in their glory, did the man who 

 developed Edwin Thorne, Daisy Dale and Hannis 

 appear to such advantage, as each heat was won in the 

 stretch, with a dash that electrified the spectators and 

 drew rounds of applause from the New York delega- 

 tion in the boxes back of the press stand. Each finish 

 showed the skill of a master hand. Erect, alert and 



