THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA, 353 



odds. Some people blamed me. It 10.1$ a hard case for the 

 backers of Dexter, and for his owner and me too ; and they 

 should have blamed those in authority, who stood up and 

 saw a very valuable young horse, and a great public favorite, 

 compelled to score above twelve times. I say this, if others 

 can beat me in a race, let them do it ; but do not give them 

 a chance to beat me before the race begins, by "double- 

 banking " me in scoring. The scoring for the first heat is 

 no part of the race, for a horse or horses can pay forfeit 

 after it ; yet we often see a good horse prevented from win- 

 ning by two or three scoring against him alternately, while 

 one stays behind each time and hinders a start. This is a 

 game for which a remedy ought to be found. This is the 

 way Dan Mace with Commodore Vanderbilt, and Jim Eoff 

 with Gen. Butler, beat me and Lady Emma at the Union 

 Course. 



Dexter's knee swelled a good deal ; and I advised Mr. 

 Alley, after we had reduced it, to take him home to Islip, 

 and let him run out for a couple of months. He did so. 

 He then took him up, and drove him until the 1st of Octo- 

 ber. Dexter then came back to me. After two week's work, 

 in which he went well, I gave him a trial. He went in 2m. 

 29s., and I knew that he was every day a-coming. I then 

 said to Mr. Alley, that the horse was improving every day, 

 and that I thought in about two weeks he would be likely 

 to show us something worth seeing " to a man up a tree." 

 But it was three weeks before the trial came off, and it was 

 a damp, cloudy day in November. There was not much 

 wind, however, and the track was hard. Mr. Shepherd F. 

 Knapp and Mr. Alley were present, and they timed him. I 

 knew all the way round that Dexter was doing a great thing. 

 I had hardly ever then, if ever, except in the cases of Flora 

 Temple and the gray mare Peerless that belongs to Mr. 

 Bonner, seen such a stroke kept up from end to end. When 

 I turned and came back, I lifted up my hand, and said to the 

 gentlemen, " Oh, what a horse ! " 



