THE TWO-MINUTE TROTTER 157 



As a matter of common-sense, Messenger was 

 surely not the only thoroughbred that could beget 

 speed at the trot, however gifted he might be in 

 that line; the progeny of Trustee, Bellfounder, 

 and others were speedy at the trot. Leland Stan- 

 ford was the greatest advocate of the thorough- 

 bred cross, arguing that, as the thoroughbred al- 

 ready possessed all the qualities desired except the 

 ability to trot fast, the more thorough blood in 

 the trotter the better, even to the extent, if it were 

 possible, of simply engrafting the trotting action 

 upon the thoroughbred horse. He purchased 

 Electioneer and bred him to strictly thorough- 

 bred mares. 



This was regarded as an extreme experiment, 

 even by those friendly to the thoroughbred cross, 

 for few believed that it was wise to have it quite 

 so near as that. But the stallion, Palo Alto, 

 2 :08%, was a result of this way of breeding, and 

 the California stock rose to fabulous prices. It 

 was purchased largely by Eastern breeders and 

 more than ever before trotters began to look fine 

 and bloodlike. 



Another factor that tended to the more rapid 

 evolution of speed was an increased attention to 

 the choice of the dam. The old-fashioned idea 

 that good blood was of more importance in the 

 sire than in the dam was a false one. It had its 



