TROTTING IN AMERICA —THE YEARS RECORD.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 427, 29 September 1898, Page 17

TROTTING IN AMERICA —THE YEARS RECORD.

On any prominent Eastern trotting track not less than ten thousand people would have con gregated to see such a race and such a field of horses as the free-for-all trot produced at Oakland on July 14 (states the Breeder and Horseman). The starters were Zombro, 2.11, Aster, 2.12, Ethel Downs, 2.10, Mamie Griffin, 2.12, Clay S., 2.14, and Toggles, 2 12|, and when the race was finished Toggles’ record was 2 which is the fastest heat ever trotted on the Oakland track. The other horses were defeated, but not one of them disgraced. Mamie Griffin had the pole and they were going steadily except Zombro when the word was given, and he was trotting, but not at his usual square gait, and he broke before reaching the turn, falling twenty or thirty lengths behind Mamie Griffin, who went right out in the lead, with Aster and Toggles behind her. She was at the quarter in 32£sec, and reached the half in 1.4 J, which is the fastest half of the meeting. At this point Toggles began an argument with Aster, who was two lengths behind the leader, and the two geldings had it hammer and tongs around the turn, and were closing on the black mare. Toggles had the most speed, and Aster dropped back as they turned into the stretch, while Strathway’s son and Blackbird’s daughter were headed for the wire, and not lessening their speed after passing the three-quarter pole in 1.38 i.

But where was McKinney’s greatest son ? When he broke at the start it was thought he was out of the race, but he had made up the lost ground, and trotting the middle half on the outside of the track in 104 had passed all but Mamie Griffin and Toggles. After turning into the stretch Donathan thought he could pass Mamie on the inside, but found himself pocketed and was compelled to pull clear out across the track. And how Zombro did respond and trot. He must have gone a two minute gait for he gained rapidly, but the leaders were too far ahead and too near the wire for him to reach them. Toggles was full of trot too, and he increased his speed nearing the stand, and Mamie Griffin could not stand the excitement and broke, which lost her the race, Toggles coming under the wire a winner by nearly a length, Mamie second and Zombro third. The clip was a little too fast for Astor.

Clay S., interfered with badly by Zombro’s first break, was off his feet at the first turn and Came almost to a standstill, but made up a lot of ground and trotted the remaining threequarters in 1'39. Had there been no breaks made by Zombro or Mamie Griffin, the mile would surely have been made in 2'09, and it would be a very shrewd guesser who could name the winner, and the probabilities are that it would have been a hard race for even the judges to decide.