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GEN GRANT LOVED THE THOROUGHBRED John J Hyland the veteran trainer in gossiping of the love of great men for horses and their con ¬ tention says that of all men lie ever knew General Grant was the best sportsman No man within my knowledge said Hyland and a great many Jiave iKen there knew more about a horse than General Grant lie understood the practical value of a liorse as well for he had been through things that tested the different sorts of horses in a prac ¬ tical manner I remember very well his many visits to the home of Governor A D Brown of Baltimore for whom I was training then and the thoroughbred was always what attracted his atten ¬ tion tionGeneral General Grant would spend hours with us talk ¬ ing of pedigrees and of racing and never seemed tired of watching the gallops Many a time I recall his going with me to the infield and remaining there during the schooling He enjoyed racing and made no secret of it and he enjoyed the racing because he knew it was a test He believed it took a con ¬ test to bring out the best and certainly if any man ever lived who had a right to know President Gniiit was the man His visits to my training stable I always remember as one of the most pleasant experiences I ever had There wasnt n man or boy of us that wouldnt have climbed the Washington Monument if lie had asked us be ¬ cause be was such a wholesome gentlman and had such a fondness for horses horsesWhile While trainer Hyland said lie had no knowledge of the matter and though it had never been pub ¬ lished It was generally understood that President Grant If he was not the sole owner had at least an interest in the well known racer General Havney if not some other horses that bore the silks of the Maryland sportsman Hyland also said that when General Harney was to run in a twomile heat race at Point Breeze in 1870 President Grant asked him to take charge of the horse which won one of the heats heatsGeneral General Grant used to drive behind a pair of trotters to the Benning track in 1875 said Hy lanrl and frequently took me with him lie also took my old friend Charley Oxx along one day and gave cigarsThats the latter one of his big black cigars Thats true said Oxx who is a veteran turf ¬ man It was the proudest day of my life too
