THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 229 



to no practice with each other. This is a consideration that 

 must not be lost sight of; for, though it is possible and proba- 

 ble that the Ledger mares might have beaten Suffolk and 

 Rifle, it is just about as certain to my mind as any thing 

 can be, that hardly any other team, of those that have been 

 since prominent, could have done so. 



At the Eagle Course, Trenton, Lady Suffolk was beaten, 

 two-mile heats, by B/ipton, in 5m. 6s., 5m. 22s. ; and, on the 

 1st of August, he beat her and Confidence, three-mile heats 

 in harness, in 8m., Tin. 56Js. The backers of Suffolk 

 growled lustily, and said, that, if Byrant had let George 

 Spicer drive, she could not have lost it. The reason given 

 was that she had made better time some other day ; but 

 this was fallacious reasoning. There never was a horse yet, 

 and there never will be, in my opinion, who, being capable 

 of a really great thing, can be relied upon to do it all the 

 time. Therefore it is the height of foolishness to expect 

 that a trotter will always go up to the best mark he has 

 made, unless he is a young and constantly improving horse. 

 In order to the accomplishment of the great feat, there was 

 probably a combination of favorable circumstances. Weath- 

 er, track, driver or rider, and ability of opponents, were all 

 happily in a concatenation for speed ; and, in addition to and 

 above all this, the horse was right in tune, keyed up to the 

 finest pitch. Now, these things may all fall in and combine 

 again ; but it is perfect nonsense to expect that they are 

 going to do so every day the horse trots in public. Yet a 

 great many do so expect ; and, when the race is over, these 

 are the ones who fall to cursing the driver or owner, and 

 blaming and underrating the horse, when there is in truth 

 nothing blamable but their own extravagant expectations. 

 It is true that Bryant would drive, and that Spicer could 

 drive better ; but I do not admit, that, had Spicer been 

 behind the mare, she could have beaten Eipton and myself. 

 Lady Suffolk after that beat Independence, two-mile heats 

 in harness. He was a long-tailed, chestnut horse, about 



