108 ROAD, TRACK, AND STABLE. 



Las a soft spot in him somewhere when pinched." 

 Florence was a beautiful mare, also fast, and a good 

 "breaker. All three, it should be mentioned, were 

 driven by masters of the art. 



The first heat was won by Florence after a sharp 

 contest with Felix, Xobby making no effort. In the 

 second heat Xobby outstripped the others on the home 

 stretch, but made a wild break, passing under the 

 wire on a run, and Florence was awarded first place. 

 In the third heat Xobby again broke badly, and Felix 

 won after another hard contest with Florence. In 

 the fourth heat Xobby showed his quality. At the 

 three-quarter pole Felix led him by four lengths, but 

 from this point Xobby began to gain inch by inch, 

 Splan driving him with great patience and skill. 

 His long neck showed nearer and nearer to the sulky 

 of Felix, as the two horses approached the judge's 

 stand, until at last they were side by side. Then 

 Felix seemed to fall back, and Xobby won amid w r ild 

 hurrahs. "I have seen his sire do the same thing in 

 California," said a noted horseman who was among 

 the spectators. In the fifth heat, however, Xobby 

 made another disastrous break, and Felix won easily. 

 Five heats had now been trotted, and the coming 

 heat would decide the race if it fell either to Felix 

 or to Florence. Xobby, so far, had only one to 

 his credit. This brings us to the 



Sixth Heat. It had begun to rain a little: the 

 track was sticky, and all the horses were tired. 

 ' ; Their courage," says the report, "was cheered by 

 sherry." It is more likely, however, that Xobby was 

 treated to champagne and seltzer water, that being 

 the agreeable dose usually administered by Splan 



