At Goshen

Once a year, in mid-August, the sleepy little village of Goshen, N. Y. becomes for a day the capital of the harness-racing world. There, along elm-shaded streets that were meant for its population of 4,000, 40,000 trotting-race enthusiasts, in carnival spirit, meander toward Good Time Track and the running of the Hambletonian, world's richest race for trotting horses.

The assorted collection of city folks who go to Goshen as a last resort of horse & buggy days will remember last week's Hambletonian as the one with the best weather. But to seasoned trotting men, the story of Lawrence Sheppard's master stroke of horse trading will serve as a subject of discussion for many a dull winter evening.

Lawrence Sheppard is a rich shoemaker (Hanover Shoes) who owns one of the finest standard-bred stud farms (Hanover Shoe Farms) in the U. S. Twice winner of the Hambletonian (Hanover's Bertha in 1930 and Shirley Hanover in 1937), Shoemaker Sheppard, like most rich sportsmen, wanted to win again this year and become the first owner to take the event twice in a row. Because he had no likely prospect, as he went the rounds of the Grand Circuit this summer Horse Owner Sheppard kept one eye on his own stable, the other on his fellow horsemen's. At Agawam three weeks ago, he saw William Cane's Hambletonian entry, McLin, outstep the highly touted Long Key in the third heat of the American Stake (after a miserable showing in the two previous heats). As quick as a man could say David Harum, Owner Sheppard offered Owner Cane $20,000 for McLin, had him hitched to a Hanover sulky the following week.

With just eight days to get accustomed to his new charge, who was notorious for his bad temper and fondness for breaking from racing stride into a gallop. Driver Henry Thomas, one of the sturdiest and smartest in the game, thought he had McLin ready on Hambletonian Day. Seasoned horsemen, however, knowing that McLin had never finished in the money as a two-year-old and had not won a race this season, doubted whether even foxy, strong-fingered Henry Thomas could handle him. At the end of the first one-mile heat, when McLin, trotting in faultless gait, came home three lengths in front, railbirds fancied they might be wrong. At the end of the second heat they saluted a great horse. McLin had won in straight heats (2:02 1/4, 2:02 3/4). To Owner Sheppard went $19,944, just $56 less than the amount he had paid Bill Cane the week before.

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