33 



at all distressed, and seemed as chipper as when she had 

 been led out for the start. 



Trifle took the lead for the third heat, with Lady Relief 

 second and Black Maria, as usual, last. The black mare had 

 got such a bad start, though, that she could not catch up, 

 and Trifle won, though hard pressed by Lady Relief. 



Lady Relief got the best of the start for the fourth heat, 

 with Trifle second and Black Maria last. Three miles were 

 gone over in this way without a change of positions, and 

 Lady Relief seemed to have won. Then Black Maria was 

 urged, and she shot toward the front. Relief won by a neck, 

 and sixteen miles had been run by the game thoroughbreds. 



At the start for the fifth heat Lady Relief was in front, 

 Trifle second and Black Maria last. Trifle gave it up at the 

 end of the nineteenth mile. Lady Relief was leading when 

 the two contenders galloped into the stretch, but Black 

 Maria was moving up. Now they were neck and neck, each 

 boy riding like a demon. Slowly but surely the black mare 

 drew away from her game antagonist, and finally passed 

 under the wire a winner amid the plaudits of a great crowd. 



It was certainly a grand race, and illustrated beyond a 

 doubt that Black Maria was one of the grandest mares the 

 country has ever produced. At the conclusion of the twen- 

 tieth mile she was not "all out" by any means, and could 

 have done another heat with ease. 



There have been many dead heats run on the race 

 tracks of the world, but there was never one so great as 

 that between Life Boat, Elakim and Prioress for the Czaro- 

 witch Stakes in 1856. Life Boat and Elakim were bred and 

 owned in England and Prioress was the property of Richard 

 Ten Broeck, of Kentucky. 



The three horses finished under the wire so closely 

 together that the judges were unable to determine which 

 had won. Another heat resulted in a victory for the 

 American mare. 



Prioress was by sovereign, out of Reel, and was bred 

 by Jefferson Wells, of Louisiana. Life Boat went into the 

 race as a red hot favorite and the Britishers bet their 

 money on his chances eagerly. The second choice was 

 Elakim 3 and the American daughter of the great Reel was 

 scoffed at by all save the few Americans who happened to be 



