THE TROTTING-I10RSE OF AMERICA. 267 



gelding was an uncommon good horse that day, and he won 

 it in three heats. The first heat was a close and desperate 

 struggle. Tacony lead about a length to the quarter, where 

 the mare got to his girths. She staid there for half a mile, 

 both of them doing their best, as near as might be. At the 

 head of the stretch we were close together. Tacony gained 

 from thence to the draw-gate, where he led two lengths. But 

 the mare answered my call, and darted to his head. It was 

 the signal for a great shout from the crowd ; and, just at that 

 moment, up she went. Tacony won it by a neck in 2m. 28s. 

 The second heat was faster, closer, and harder still ; but he 

 won it in 2m. 27s. The third heat was another desperate 

 struggle ; and, though Flora was defeated, it was only by a 

 short head in 2m. 29s. 



Before the day was altogether done, we matched the 

 horses again, two-mile heats in harness, to trot in five days. 

 I did not think that Flora had been quite at her best that 

 day ; and, though it had been a hard, up-hill struggle for her, 

 it was niy opinion that she would recover from the effects 

 of it quite as soon as Tacony would. To be sure, she had 

 been beaten, while he had won ; but, when horses trot three 

 very close heats, it takes as much out of the winner as it 

 does out of the loser, provided the loser possesses that game- 

 principle, which, instead of being discouraged by defeat, 

 rather is incited to put the matter to a further issue and 

 avenge it. She was then, and remained to the last, a 

 wonderful mare to " come again." 



I liked her on the day of the two-mile race, and she won 

 it easily in two heats, 4m. 59s., 5m. Is. This was the 

 best two-mile time that had then been made. Soon after 

 tli at race, I went with Flora to Saratoga, where she beat 

 Tacony, mile heats, three in five, in harness, in 2m. 32s., 2m. 

 31s., 2m. 32s., on the 26th of July. The track was heavy. 

 On the 30th we were at it again, two-mile heats in harness ; 

 and she beat the roan horse in 5m. 4s., 5m. 10 |s. We 

 then went on to Rochester, where Tacony beat Flora, mile 



