Gay Forbes Standardbred

Color: br
Height: p,5,2:18.4

p,5,2:18.4 Gay Forbes was bred in Ohio where her sire stood for service and was foaled in 1916. She was a consistent campaigner for several seasons over the half-mile ovals of the Buckeye State and took her mark of 2:07ľ as a five-year-old at the North Randall mile track. Later she was sold to a New England patron and raced several seasons with moderate success, particularly in Maine. Well along in the 1920s, she began to develop tendon trouble in her right foreleg, but the late Harry Ridge of Haverhill, Mass., bought her nevertheless and turned her over to trainer Irving Pottle of Portland, Maine. It was late in the 1926 season and the mare was only raced a few times, winding up at the Gorham Fair in what was to be her last race. Gay Forbes then went into winter quarters in the Pottle stable at the Cornish, Me., Fair Grounds, where her leg was treated constantly. By spring it seemed sound and the veteran pacing mare went into training once more. Mr. Pottle was very careful with her and for awhile it looked as if she would make the grade. However, as she began to drop down to faster miles the leg became troublesome, and reluctantly Mr. Pottle informed her owner that she would not be able to get to the races. Shortly afterwards Mr. Ridge came out to see the mare and during a conversation with trainer Pottle remarked that he hardly knew what to do with her Mr. Pottle promptly replied, I know what I would do with her. Mr. Ridge then hopefully inquired, And what would that be?Pottle quickly and emphatically stated I would send her to Tennessee and breed her to Napoleon Direct. At first Mr Ridge was reluctant to send her such a long distance and the 2 men discussed sending her to Abbedale 2:01Ľ. Finally the result was left to the toss of a coin that gave the decision to Napoleon Direct; the 2 men little realizing that the proposed mating was going to produce the fastest harness horse in the world. Of course it did not happen as quickly as that since Gay Forbes had several foals before the immortal Billy Direct, he being foaled in 1934 when she was eighteen years old. A few days later the stable foreman, Bernard Small, penned off one end of a box car and put in plenty of straw, a bale of good hay, a barrel of water and led in Gay Forbes with a tag on her halter, stating her name and destination. Then began the journey to the Southland that has changed the pages of harness horse history many times.

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