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Show JAY-EYE-SEE WAS THE BIG JOKE OF XRACK A great many stories are told by old horso race followers, one of the most Interesting In-teresting of which, In the early history of that famous old trotter and pacer. Jay-Eye-Sce, still alivo and enjoying a life of enso at tho farm of .1. I. Case estate In Racine, Wis., brings to tho minds of old-time trotting horsemen here the early days of this famous horse. Jtxy-12yo-See was foaled at the farm of Colonel Richard West, near this city, In 1S75, and Is thereforo 34 years old. Instead of 31. as reported. He is by Dictator, out of Midnight, by Pilot, Jr. The story of how the late Jerome 1. Case came to buy him Is interesting. Mr. Caso camo to Kentucky Ken-tucky to buy a string of horses. Ho visited vis-ited tho farm of Colonel West and admired ad-mired the sleok-looking youngsters roaming roam-ing the broad bluegrass pastures of that famous farm, but was not EaMsfied wlt!i the prices named, and to satisfy hlir Colonel West brought out the geldlns: and said: "Here. Case. I will throw this one In with tho lot" Mr. Case, with hardly a look at the horse, said. "All right." He roturned home and finally the string of Kentucky horse6 arrived at his stock farm. When tho string was tried out. Jay-Eyo-Sce, so named for tho initials of his owner, was looked upon as a freak. He would rack, pace and trot Indiscriminately, Indiscriminate-ly, and no amount of scientific training could get him down to a respectable and steady gait. Whenever a party of visiting horsemen would roine to the Caso stable the trotting stock would be shown with great pride by the trainer, Ed Either, who then had charge of the Case horses, but he always hitched up Jay-Eyo-Sec last In order to amuse them. Just as soon as the gelding was on the track he would begin a fantastic combination of racking, pacing and trotting, and his habit of rambling from side to side on the course created much amusement. In fact. Jay-Eyc-Soo was considered the "Joker" of the Caso string. Ono day the llttlo gelding surprised his owner and trainer by starting off in a straight trot Instead of his usual gaits, when brought out to amuse spectators. After this Hither began be-gan to take more Interest in the horso. i and later developed him into tho wonder he was. When I years old he made a record of 2:10; as a 5-year-old he took a record of 2:103, but It was as a C-year-old that he electrified the trotting world by defeating the great St. Julian and lowering the world's record to 2.10. Soon after tho tondons of one of his legs weakened and hl3 gait was changed to a pace. Ho afterward after-ward paced a mile in 2:0Bi. which, with his trotting record of 2:10. made the fastest combination record the world has ever known. This famous horso was always al-ways of a gentle disposition, and after his turf career was closed he became a great pet In the Case family nnd was often driven by Mr Case's daughtors. During the height of his sensational racing career ca-reer his owner refused un offer of ?50,000, the highest price ever offered for a trotter or pacer up to that time. |