From Nov 1936 Hoof Beats:
THE STORY OF THE STARS
Meaning the Asterisks that Appear in the Official Your Book
By John Hervey
ALL harness horsemen are supposed to be familiar with the official Wallace's Year Book-a statement perhaps susceptible of some qualification, but still true in the broad sense, it being impossible to verify either the record or the breeding, of a Standard performer without reference to the series of historic volumes that were long ago termed "the Bible of the Breed.''
Similarly, all persons familiar with the Year Book are supposed to understand the meaning of the star-or asterisk (*)-that appears opposite the names of divers and sundry record-makers in each annual volume. But-not all of them do, because I have more than once had horsemen inquire of me what it meant, when they came across it, they being also horsemen who were not beginners in the game and who had consulted the official books more than once before.
It has occurred to me that there is a good story connected with the stars in the Year Books-meaning the asterisks, and not the trotting and pacing champions-especially, as a most memorable championship record recently made has brought the subject vividly to my mind, while I have also happened to live through the whole evolution that it has experienced.
