Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1879 — Sleepy Tom: [ARTICLE]

Sleepy Tom:

When the word “go” was given for the third heat, “Sleepy” suddenly awake to the fact that there was business on hand, and buckled into his work with such will as to leave all his competitors for in the rear. He came in an easy winner, and the pool buyers. who on account of his previous balks, had concluded they had made a mistake, once more took to him very kindly. The fourth heat was a repetition, of the third, with a little “more so.” “Sleepy” Tom went for the lead as a grasshopper goes for a June-bug. Away he flew, faster and fester, as greater and greater became the distance between him and his followers. But for the feet that the drivers of the other horses whipped up desperately at the dose the entire field would have been shutout. “Sleepy” Tom [ls evidently a great horse. * John Splan, the driver of Rarus’ by the way, tells a good story, about this sightless old fellow. He was asked to drive him a race at Columbus. To his surprise he lost the first two heats. “I ou don’t understand him.” said his old driver. “You must talk to him. Now, whenyou come to a turn you must say, “Turn, Tom’, and when you get on the home-stretch you must say, “Go, Tom; they are after us.’ Say that and he’ll win.” Splan said he would try the racket. So, for fear he might fer get the formula, he wrote it out, pinned it on his knee “right side up with care,” so as to have it under his eye as he sat in the sulky, and started on the third beat. It is needless to say be won it. Be the above feet or fiction, this much is certain, that Tom and nis driver are on very intimate terms, and the latter leans forward and talkes to his pet all through the race. —[Chicago Times.