Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 235, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1912 — RECALL OLD RECORDS [ARTICLE]

RECALL OLD RECORDS

AMERICA HAB HAD HORSES OF RARE RENOWN. interesting Comparison of Those of Eighty Years Ago With Jerry M.’s Recent Remarkable Race in Ireland. Carrying 175 pounds and racing over turf, making many jumps, Jerry M., an Irish thoroughbred, covered a distance of four miles in ten mlnutea flat. He is considered the greatest horse In Ireland, and perhaps on the continent,, and in view of the heavy weight carried, Is truly a wonder. But, says a writer in the Horseshoers’ Journal, what about the old warriors of the American turf, those of the ’3os and ’4os going the same route, working at the trotting gait and covering distances in a little slower time. The Dutchman, in May, 1836, on the Centerville (L. I.) course under saddle and at the trotting gait, went four miles in 10:51. The weight carried by the horse is not stated, but judging from~Hiram Woodruff’s scaling of 160 pounds, without saddle, Lt is safe to say that the Dutchman carried nearlyas much weight as Jerry M. did when he won the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase recently In ten minutes. When It is considered that the Dutchman worked at the trotting gait, the performance is all the greater. Ten minutes and fifty-one seconds for four miles was the best of early days, and the mark was a record for many years for trotters working under saddle. Reduced to miles it means that the average for each was 2:42%. The record for runners for four miles made previous to 1842, was held by Fashion, who won over Boston, a nine-year-old, in, 7:32% or 1:15% for each mile covered. The record was established at Union Course, L. L, in May, 1842, the best previous record for the same distance being held by Eclipse in a race with Henry over the game course in May, 1823, the time being 7:37. The wonderful prowess of Eclipse and other horses of the time was established by the fact that they could repeat the same long distance on the same day, though not in time as fast as the first heat. Eclipse In his race worked under the three In five plan, and each heat was made in time as follows: First heat, 7:37; second heat, 7:49; third heat, 8: 24. This was in 1823, 89 years ago, when blood was put to a test, the four miles route being not an uncommon thing to witness. Tracing the lines of the thoroughbreds back into history, how many times we see the name of Eclipse mentioned; his blood Intermingles with the very select of the present day, and the reason why is easily seen. Time has not bade great changes in the thoroughbred line if the. performances of Eclipse are figured up.