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NATURALIST AND HIS PECULIARITIES In Naturalist Joseph E AVidcner probably has the most peculiar thoroughbred in training lie has as much speed and stamina and weight carry ¬ ing ability as any mans horse but he refuses absolutely to do his best unless accompanied by other horses In his morning workouts he will not run as fast as a pony He is an enigma to Thomas Welsh his veteran trainer trainerMr Mr Welsh 1 as gone to extremes to make him work fast At Saratoga last year lie stationed his stable hands at different parts of the track armed with pebbles and towels He gave the boys instruc ¬ tions to wave the towels at the horse as it passed and to hit him gently with the pebbles Charlie Fairbrother had the leg up on him and he was in ¬ structed to do his best to make the sulky fellow work fast But Naturalist paid no attention to either jockey or the buys on the track He ambled over the onemile course and despite Fulrbrothers best efforts covered the distance in the excep ¬ tionally slow time of 141 141A A few weeks later at Jamaica he started in a race and because Hannibal belonging to R T Wilson ran away from him during the first half mile of the race he stuck Ids feet in the ground and refused to budge for ten minutes New York Sun and Humid
