A Russian Silver Presentation Cigarette Case Fabergé, Workmaster FS, Moscow, before 1899, with scratched inventory number 10338 0-3/4 x 4-5/8 x 2-5/8 inches (1.9 x 11.7 x 6.7 cm) 180 grams (5.78 troy ounces) PROVENANCE: Frank Caton, American. Private Collection, New York. Frank Caton, born in Northville, Michigan, in 1852, learned horsemanship from his father. Initially racing "running horses," he shifted to training and driving trotters. From 1873 to 1881, he raced for his brother Samuel, becoming well-known in the industry. This led to a position as manager, trainer, and driver at C. F. Emery's Forest City Farm in Ohio, where he trained horses and developed methods for breeding faster trotters. In 1893, Caton traveled to Russia to resolve a horse sale issue for Emery and saw an opportunity in the Russian racing market. He returned the next year with his son, Will, and soon moved his family there. Caton was approached by Count Vorontsov-Dashkov, a prominent figure in the Russian court, who offered him control over his stables in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Caton revolutionized Russian trotting by crossbreeding American Standardbreds with Russian Orlov trotters, creating the Metis, or Russian Trotter. He introduced head-to-head racing, modern racing equipment, and auctions. However, during the Russian Revolution, his store and factory were destroyed. Though Caton safely returned to the U.S. with special envoy status, his sons were briefly imprisoned, and the rest of his family endured a harrowing escape across Siberia before reuniting in America. The offered lot contains an interior inscription: "To the famous / American trainer and rider / Frank Keaton / "in remembrance" / Moscow 30 July 1898" a memory, perhaps, of happier times in Russia. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved