view raw text
1 . 1 f i 1 1 1 1 I I 1 ! . , . ; t , j GERALDINE THE SPEED WONDER. Porter Ashes Fleot Mare of a Quarter of a Century Ago and Her Brilliant 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 Avon some races in California, but racing on the coast attracted little attention in those days. So, when she won her first race in the cast, 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 Avon in a canter by four lengths, with Los Angeles second and Belinda third. Subsequently Geraldine won the Sapphire Stakes at Sheepshead Bay and Prospect Stakes at Gravesend, and went back to California well known to all and decidedly respected by the owners of other two-year-olds. In the Prospect Stakes Geraldine beat, among others, such celebrities as Emperor of Norfolk and Sir Dixon. She was the property of R. 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 and only won a match race against Rosarium at Monmouth Park and the Record Stakes at, Bay District track, San Francisco, in which she defeated Al Farrow and some other swift ones. In 1889 Geraldine was campaigned quite extensively and won many races, but one in which she was beaten was attended with more important consequences than all the others put together. This was in a purse race at Bay District, San Francisco, at three-quarters of a mile. It was a tremendous betting race, with one confident coterie backing Geraldine, and 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 race found him in front, with Emotion second, Nancy third and Geraldine unplaced. Starting of a Feud Affecting California Racing. 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 transformed from close friends into bitter enemies, and a feud started that affected the California turf for the next ten years and was attended witii many unpleasant incidents. Time brought healing, and the two men became friends again, but, while the Avar lasted Geraldine was always a central element and at one time Mr. Williams took her away from Ashe through the courts and raced her for a season in his own name. Geraldines speed Avas so great that she was nearly always raced at sprinting distances, but she Avould probably have stayed Avell OA-er a longer distance if trained for it. At any rate, in the spring of 18S9, Al FarroAV only beat her a head at a mile o-er the San Jose track in 1:40, it being one of the earliest miles in that time on record. Brought east that year she aa-oii from the best of the day. starring at Washington Park and the Ncav York tracks. It avus this year, at Morris Park, that she ran a half mile in 40 seconds, AAhich is the record to this day. In this she carried 122 pounds and defeated Volunteer, Daisy F., Britannic and seven more fast ones, and Avon by two lengths. In all she raced for ten years, and Avas known through the length and breadth of the land as one of the fastest sprinters ever seen in America. Geraldines long career and its results Avere as follows: Geraldine, ch. m, 1835, by Grinstead CousinPeggy. Year. Age. Sts. 1st. 2d. 3d. Unp. Won. 1SS7 2 15 8 2 0 5 ,540 1SSS 3 5 2 0 1 2 2,575 1SS9 4 21 13 2 2 4 8,480 1890 5 9 1 4 4 0 3,515 1S91 0 2G 8 9 1 8 4,305 1852 7 25 15 5 3 2 5,475 1893 8 5 13 3 3 G 7,950 18!4 9 50 8 11 7 24 3,855 1895 10 4 1 2 0 1 405 18915 11 4 0 1 0 3 50 Totals 10 1S4 GO 39 21 55 5,270
