THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 301 



Princess must have trotted the second quarter very fast, for, 

 at the pole, Flora's lead was only a length. Thus they went 

 until half way up the home-stretch ; when the frantic shout 

 of thousands of her admirers inspired the little mare to one 

 of her great rushes, and she won the heat by three lengths 

 in 2m. 23-|s. When the judges announced that the record 

 was a second better than ever before, and that Flora 

 was still the sovereign mistress of it, the people were nigh 

 crazy with joy. There was no betting between the heats ; 

 and many yet believed that Eoif could win the race if he 

 liked to do so. 



Flora had a bad start in the second heat. She was a length 

 and a half behind, and under a pull when the word was 

 given; but she darted on to Princess with such a rush 

 that she collared her before she was well at the turn, and 

 up went the California mare. At the quarter-pole, in 

 thirty-four seconds, Flora led six or seven lengths. At the 

 half-mile, in 1m. 09s., her lead was not quite so great ; but 

 she kept all the daylight open to the score, and won by 

 six lengths in 2m. 22s. It was a capital heat for Flora ; 

 and, though she afterwards beat it on this Island at the 

 Union and Fashion Courses, she never surpassed it much, 

 considering the bad start she had. I shall always contend 

 that Flora's best heat was made on this Island. The Kalama- 

 zoo Course, on which she beat 2m. 20s., may have been a 

 mile. It was certified as a mile, and it is too late now to go 

 behind what the record says; but, if that was a mile, our 

 Island courses are more than a mile, for they measure a 

 mile one foot nearer the pole than that did. Besides, it is 

 a well-known fact, that the Eclipse Course, now called the 

 Centreville, is more than a mile. Even after this heat, 

 some continued in the belief that Princess could have won it. 



In the third heat, Flora took the lead, and went to the 

 quarter in thirty-five seconds, three lengths ahead. Prin- 

 cess gained two lengths in the straight quarter, on the 

 back-stretch, and yet Flora got to the half in 1m. 10s. The 



