THE TROTTING-nORSE OF AMERICA. 333 



a son of American Eclipse, inherited the Messenger blood 

 through the famous Miller's Damsel. This latter was out 

 of an imported mare by Pot-8-os, who was the best son of 

 English Eclipse, and one of the fastest and stoutest running- 

 horses that ever was trained. 



John Morgan was a golden chestnut, with a white foot 

 and a blaze in the face. He was sixteen hands high, a 

 powerful horse, with great bone, and fine, bold action. He 

 was worked, and worked hard, even when two years old ; and 

 at four he was put through such a preparation as his owner, 

 Mr. Bradley, gave to the running-horses. In my opinion, 

 his early and severe handling was a great evil. It did not 

 prevent him from displaying wonderful speed and bottom ; 

 but it cut his career very short, to what it might otherwise 

 have been. If this horse had not been trained and trotted 

 until he was four or five years old, he might have gone on 

 improving so as to beat Flora herself. He was a very stout 

 horse, as well as very fast. No distance seemed too long 

 for him. He was trained and driven in Kentucky by his 

 owner, who had never trained and driven any other trotting- 

 horse. 



After having won two and three mile heats in Kentucky, 

 he was sold to Mr. George Bockius and James Turner, for 

 $6,000 or $7,000. They brought him to New York, and 

 matched him to trot three races against Flora ; mile heats 

 three in five, two-mile heats, and three-mile heats, in har- 

 ness. The races were trotted on the Centreville Course, 

 the first, mile heats, three in five, was on the 13th of June. 

 Very few thought that he could beat Flora at mile heats, 

 and the bettting was 100 to 20 on her before the start. Still 

 his fine, bold action, as he came up the home-stretch, seem- 

 ingly with the power of a locomotive, greatly impressed the 

 gentlemen who were present. Turner drove him, and the 

 horse was a little too powerful for him. He pulled strong, 

 and had run away once or twice. Turner had been sick ; 

 and, though a man of great natural courage, he was a little 

 nervous. 



