TROTTING RACES. 97 



shape, and the judges are perched in a two-story 

 balcony close to the track, and near one extrem- 

 ity of the ellipse, so that at the end of a heat the 

 horses have a long, straight stretch before reach- 

 ing the goal. Across the track from the judges' 

 stand, and high enough to clear the trotters' heads, 

 is stretched a wire, by the aid of which, in a very 

 close finish, the judges can determine which horse 

 has won. The race is usually " best three in five " ; 

 that is, in order to win, a horse must come in first 

 three times, not necessarily in succession. Thus it 

 will be seen, if there are many contestants in the 

 race, it may be prolonged to seven, eight, and even 

 ten heats, before any one trotter has secured three. 

 But if a horse has taken part in five 1 heats without 

 winning a single one, he is ruled out, or " sent to the 

 barn," as the expression is, and cannot start again. 

 So, also, he may be ruled out if at the close of a heat 

 he is very far behind the winning horse. At a point 

 in the home stretch one hundred feet from the judges' 

 stand, (one hundred and fifty, if eight or more horses 

 are ensrasred in the race.^i a man is stationed with a 

 flag in his hand, which he drops when the winner 

 reaches the wire; and if any lagging horse has not 

 passed him when his flag falls, that horse is "dis- 

 tanced." and cannot start again. It is possible for a 

 driver to "lay up" a heat, as it is called; that is, if 

 his horse be tired, or for any other cause, he may 

 content himself for that heat with just "saving his 

 distance," making no effort to win. The start is a 

 flying one. When the judges ring their bell, the 

 drivers turn about at or near the distance point, and 



1 A recent rule makes this limit three heats instead of five. 



