THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 213 



When it is remembered, in addition to all this, that the 

 heats in her races were as often two and three mile as one, 

 and sometimes four-mile heats, it will be plain to everybody 

 that the mare had inherited in great perfection the hardy 

 constitution, unflinching game, and enormous stamina with 

 which her grandsire, Messenger, was so eminently gifted. 

 It was all but marvellous, that, until she was more than 

 twenty years old, the gallant gray mare stood up under the 

 system, or rather want of system, pursued by her owner, 

 and, in season and out of season, always answered when he 

 called. 



The Lady began in a modest way. She was not one of 

 the high-priced and precious youngsters whose fame is 

 sounded far and loud before they have had saddle or harness 

 on ; but being at a trot we had up at Babylon, on a terribly 

 cold day in February, 1838, Bryant put her in to trot mile 

 heats, under saddle, for a subscription purse, which amounted 

 to the munificent sum of eleven dollars. I was there, and 

 he came to me to ride her, to which I readily consented ; 

 for I liked the looks of the wiry little gray mare, and knew 

 that she could trot a little. The horse opposed to us was a 

 bay gelding called Sam Patch, so named after his owner, 

 who rode him. We started, and the Lady won the first 

 heat in 3ni. Ols. ; Sam got the second in 3rn. 03s. : but the 

 Lady let out another link in the third heat, and beat him 

 handsomely in 3m. OOs. It has been stated that the best time 

 in this race was 3m. Ols ; but I know that the third heat 

 was no more than 3m. 



As the spring came on, Bryant put her in training ; that 

 is, he fed her, and gave her plenty of work ; which, in fact, 

 was about all she wanted to get into fair condition at any time. 

 On the 20th of June, he trotted her for a purse on the Beacon 

 Course, New Jersey, two-mile heats in harness. The other 

 was a black gelding called Black Hawk, that Wm. Whelan 

 had. Bryant drove the mare the first heat, but was beat in 

 5m. 42s., and then came for me to drive. I consented, but 



