332 THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 



England in the middle of November. Flora Temple and 

 Widow Machree trotted a tremendous race. The former 

 won it in three heats, and the fastest was 2m. 30s. ; the 

 third was 2m. 33s. This, in the state of the ground and 

 the weather, was justly considered amazing. The Widow 

 is no longer on the course, hut has been bred to Hamble- 

 tonian, by whom she has had three sons, all said to be fine 

 colts. It is the same cross that produced Dexter ; and, in 

 .my judgment, there is none better. The stallion gives the 

 size and bone, which many of the Star mares somewhat 

 lack ; while they supply a style of action that cannot be sur- 

 passed, and an amount of pluck and gameness that never 

 was exceeded. 



In the year 1861, Flora made her first appearance, on the 

 21st of May, at the Fashion Course. Her opponent was 

 the mare Princess, who had been for some time in retire- 

 ment. She was now thought to be in fine condition, and 

 had trotted so well in private, that many thought she would 

 stand a good chance to defeat Flora, who had just come up 

 from Charles Lloyd's, in Jersey. The Fashion Course had 

 lately come under control of a new club, composed of such 

 gentlemen as Mr. Pettee, Mr. Genet, Shephard F. Knapp, 

 Morgan L. Mott, etc. The club offered a purse of $500, 

 mile heats, three in five, to wagon, for Flora and Princess. 

 The latter went wrong just before the race, being sore in 

 the fore-feet. Flora won in three heats, and the time was 

 slow. 



It now seemed difficult for Flora to get further engage- 

 ments ; but at length a. new candidate for the highest hon- 

 ors of the turf was brought on from the West to trot against 

 her. It was the chestnut-gelding Medoc, or John Morgan, 

 a Kentucky horse, and, I think, the best trotter that has yet 

 been produced there. He was the result of a cross between 

 a trotting-stallion and a thoroughbred, or nearly thorough- 

 bred, mare. His sire was Pilot, jun., a son of old Pilot the 

 pacer. His dam was by the race-horse Medoc, who, being 



