TROTTING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 497, 1 February 1900, Page 15

TROTTING

[By

Petronel.]

TROTTING CALENDAR. FIXTURES. February 17, Bat; 21, Wed; 24, Sat—Otahuhu T.C Summer NOMINATIONS. May 4—-Ashburton T.C Autumn HANDICAPS. February'2—Otahuhu T.C Summer ACCEPTANCES. February 9—Otahuhu T.C Summer NOTES. The famous trotters belonging to the late Robert Bonner will positively be sold at Madison Square Garden this month, under the auspices of the Fasig Tipton Company. Among them will be such well-known ones as Prayteil 2.9|, the last horse purchased by Mr Bonner ; Sunol 2.8 i, by Electioneer; Maud C. by Benderton; Don L 2.12|, by Col. Tom; Elfrida by Candidate ; Ansel 2 20, by Electioneer ; Prince Ansel, by Ansel; Melba, by Ansel ; Lady Boone, by Hambletonian ; Ruseella, by Harold ; and a number of other old-iime favorites. Maud S., the first trotter ti turn a track in 2 B|sec, and one or two others, are not to go into stranger hands.

How many stallions have sired a half-dozen 2.15 trotters ? was asked in the Breeder and Sportsman office the other day, and the records were referred to, with the result that but seventeen sires could be found that had gained that honor. The old hero of the homestretch, Robert McGregor, heads the list .with fourteen 2.15 trotters to his credit. Baron Wilkes,- Guy Wilkes, and Simmons have thirteen each, Electioneer and Red Wilkes twelve each, Onward eleven, Pilot Medium ten, Alcantra and Wilton nine each, Chimes and Jay ,*■ ird eight, Alcyone seven, and Fly ria, McKinney, and Stranger each with six. McKinney is the youngest horse in the above list, he being twelve years of age, while Climes,the next youngest, is fifteen. Baron Wilkes and Elyria are each seventeen years old. Strnger and Wilton are nineteen, and of the others that are living, none are less than twenty. - The road drivers of New York are discussing all sorts of plans by which they can have the Speedway kept in order for drivingon during the

winter, which snows that the coldest New York weather does not cool their ardour for a daily spin on the road. The Speedway offers no chance for sleighing, as many thought it would when it was being built. Last winter, with, an unusual amount of snow, the great drive was not available for a single day’s sleighing. After the heaviest snowfall of the winter, one enthusiastic and venturesome sleigh rider attempted the Speedway, and did not get as far as High Bridge until he was compelled to turn and laboriously make his way back to Central Park, where the sleighing was fairly good. Even under the most favorable weather for sleighing, it rarely lasts more than a day or two. The Parisian correspondent of the Spirit of the Times thus describes the running for the £lOOO International Race :—Monday, October 23, was the date upon which French bred trotters were to encounter some of the best Americanbred horses imported in Europe. There were twenty competitors, and all of them started ; 12 to harness, of which 7 were Americans ; 8 to saddle, all French bred. As I already have remarked, the sulkies were turning, ready to receive

the word, when the flag fell, under the nose of the saddlers grouped on one side, and off they went, of course, the rest hesitating, and hardly believing such a botch could be considered a start, but finally starting off, some of them a hundred yards or more behind the flying saddlers. But things changed with a vengance very soon, and the American horse Wilburn M., all the way from Vienna, led the whole gang before one mile was over, after starting almost a furlong in the rear; then came little Killona, by King Wilkes, pretty soon passed by Deck Miller, and Charming Chimes, dropping the French saddlers one by one, the fifth place only being collared by the French horse Bayard who had enjoyed a capital start; so that, after all, and notwithstanding the disadvantage of a half grass, half sand track, to which they were totally unused, and notwithstanding such a start against them, as never was witnessed’in the annals of trotting, the American lot most easily got the best of their French brethren. The distance of the race was two miles and a half, the winner, though losing fully one hundred and thirty yards at the start, covering the distance in 6 min 9 l-ssec.

In Lne list of winning stallions m France of the races run under the rules of the French Jockey Club, during the past season War Dance is a good first with the large total of £35,876, Le Sancy is second with £20,172, Little' Duck third with £14,495, and St. Damien next with £12,683. These are followed by Palais Royal, £10,980; Grandmaster, £1010; Floreal, £8585; Clarion, £8306; Donovan, £6699 ; and Border Minstrel, £6423. . The last-named stalliog heads the list of the winning. sires of races tinker the crosscountry rules, .. ..- . . ‘H” '-x- ! *• ’v