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, : i , I i t j i- , GERALDINE, THE, SPEED WONDER. Porter Ashes Fleet Mare and Her Racing Career. In the year 1SS7 the two-year-old chestnut filly, Geraldine, came out of the far west an unknown to eastern patrons of the race track. She had won some races in California, but racing on the coast ; attracted but little attention in those days. So, when she won her first race in the east, the , Misses Stakes at Saratoga, she was at 12 to 1 in the : betting. Los Angeles was the favorite at 1 to 4, but Geraldine won iii a canter by four lengths, with i Los Angeles second and Belinda third. Subsequently Geraldine won the Sapphire Stakes at Sheepshead I Bay ami Prospect Stakes at Graveseud, and went t back to California well known to all and decidedly respected by the owners of other two-year-olds. In 1 the Prospect Stakes Geraldine beat, among others, . such celebrities as Emperor of Norfolk and Sir : Dixon. She was the property of It. Porter Ashe, , who raced his horses under the name of the Maltese Villa Stable. In fact, with some intervals, she was always his. In 18SS she was not raced much snd only won a match race against Rosarium at t Mr Di: Al Al siv wsi was ws was tei wi with ,an sp ra Xs all P ,ri an and fo for ui th the Wi war ai and A in in I, sli she SI at m one 1! the 11 ri iU In 1 " of 1 G jl 1! J; 1; i 1 .Monmouth Park and the Record Stakes at Bay O District track, San Francisco, in which she defeated J Farrow and some other swift ones. In 1SS0 Geraldine was campaigned quite extensively and won many races, but one in which she si beaten was attended with more important consequences than all the others put together. This in a purse race at Bay District, at three-quarters of a mile. It was a tremendous betting race, one confident coterie backing Geraldine, and T another a fast filly called Emotion. In the meantime a third contingent quietly supported an old sprinter named White Cloud, and the finish of the found him in front, with Emotion second, 1 Xaney third and Geraldine unplaced. Following came charges of pulling, double crossing, and other allegations, one result being that Tom Williams and , Porter Ashe, hot headed young men then, were j. transformed front close friends into bitter enemies.. a feud starred that affected the California turf If the next ten years and was attended with many at unpleasant incidents. Time brought healing, and , two men are now friends again, but while the lasted Geraldine was always a central element, to at one time Mr. Williams took her away from Ashe through the courts and raced her for a season his own name. Goraldines speed was so great that she was A. nearly always raced at sprinting distane.es, but of would probably have stayed well over a longer distance if trained for it. At any rate, in the spring of 1SS0, Al Farrow only leat her a head . a inile over the San Jose track in 1:40, .it being of the earliest miles in that time on record, Brought oast that year she won from the best o day. starring at Washington Park and the , Xew York tracks. It was this year, at Morris Park, c that she ran a half mile in 40 seconds, which is the record to this day. Iu this she carried 122 pounds ; and defeated Volunteer, Daisy F., Britannic and seven mure fast ones, and won by two lengths. a as all she raced for ten years, and was known through the length and breadth of the laud as one the fastest sprinters ever seen iu America. Ceraldlnes long career and its results were as follows: - . a Geraldine, ch. m. 13E5, by Grinstead Cousin Peggy. a Year. Age. Sts. 1st. 2d. 3d. Unp. Won. 1SS7 2 jr. S 2 0 5 S,540 1SSS :: 5 2 O 1 2 2,570 1SS9 :.. 4 21 13 2 2 4 S.4S0 1S!0 5 0 1 4 4 O 3,515 1 1501 I! 20 S 9 1 S 4,305 t 1502 ,.7 2r. 15 5 :: 2 5,475 isos s 25 i:i :: c 7,950 t 1504 0 50 S 11 7 21 3,855 1505 ...10 4 1 2 0 1 405 . ism; ii 4 o i o go 1 Totals 10 184 GO 30 21 55 5,270 j
