THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TROTTER.

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 55

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TROTTER.

I In America the trotter counts hrst every time, and the big money goes to the trotter. Consequently it is the ambition of the Yankee harness man to own a good trotter. In 1860 races for three-year-old trotters were few and far between, and there being no occupation for young trotters the time was not taken to develop them. In 1860 the fastest time for a three-year-old trotter was 2min 39sec, and as an instance of how slowly a supply comes without the demand, it was not till nine years later that the time was cut down to 2min 31sec. Another five 1 years expired before this was reduced to 2min 30sec. In 1875 th* first of the classic , three-year-old stakes was initiated, and then the record commenced to fall with a thud. In 1877 Elaine reduced it to 2min 28sec. In 1879 Steinway reduced it to 2min 252 sec, and later in that year Jewett brought it down to 2min 23isec. Phil Thompson, in 1881, trotted 2rain 21sec, in 1882 Hinda Rose reduced it to 2min 19isec. Hinda Rose* by the way, was by Electioneer from Beautiful Bells, and, consequently, full sister to Bow Bells, dam of Abbey Bells (imp). In 1887 Sable Wilkes reduced the three-year-old record to 2m in ISsec, and he again is a relation of Abbey Belte, as the sire of his dam Sable, The Moor, was also sire of Beautiful Bells. Sable Wilkes is an ancestor of Marvin Wilkes, whose dam, Nora S., is. by Sable Wilkes. . The next three-year-old champion was ! Axtell, who two years later cut it down • with a slam to 2m'in 12sec. In 1889 Sunol cut it to 2min 10£ sec. Sunol was by Elec- ! tioneer. th-e sire of Abbey Bells' dam, Bow i Bells. In 1893 Fantasy trotted her mile in 2min B|sec, which stood alone till 1907, j when Kentucky Todd equalled it, but later in the year General Watts trotted in 2min i 6§sec, and there the record stands. A leading American paper puts all this rapid progress in the three-year-old trotting records down to the inducements held out of recent years by the valuable stakes now offered, so let us by all means make a start in offering- inducements which will encourage owners to keep trotters to their natural gait.