AMERICAN TROTTING HORSE. 543 



trotted his first trial in the Special Speed Purse, in 2 m. 15 s., the 

 starters proclaimed that Mr. Green had a horse ihat he thought 

 could go in about 2 m. 10 s.. and Edwin Forrest was brought out, 

 few thought that the statement was more than an empty boast. 

 Charley Green drove him, and at the second attempt nodded for 

 the word. The horse struck out gamely, and was at the quarter in 

 34 s. — half a second better than llarus had jus-t done. Down the 

 back-strotch he went like the wind, and passed the half in 1 m. 64^ s. 

 He slowed up from this flying pace on the turn, and came by the 

 three-quarter pole in 1 m. 401- s. (third quarter in 34 s.), and came 

 down under the wire in 2 m. 14^ s. — half a second better than 

 Rarus had done. When this was announced the excitement was 

 intense, for 2 m. 14^ s. was all Goldsmith Maid could do at Hart- 

 ford, two years previous. Karus was now put on his mettle, and 

 trotted the second trial in 2 m. 13^ s. (last quarter in 32^ s.). But 

 Green thought he could beat that, and that Forrest -was the horse 

 that could do it. On the second trial he was sent off, and he went 

 to the quarter in 83? s., without a skip. Then it seemed as if he 

 had not been half trying. Such trotting was never seen before. He 

 fairly flew, and it looked as though 2 m. 10 s. would be made; but 

 the pace was too fast, and he broke badly when about eight lengths 

 ii-om the half-mile pole, losing several lengths, but Green caught him 

 skillfully, and he was soon under full headway, reaching the half- 

 mile pole in 1 m. 5i s. (second quarter in 31 1 s.). Before he reached 

 the middle of the third quarter he again went in the air, and though 

 he soon recovered. Green had lost hope of surpassing his first effort 

 and did not hurry him. The three-quarter pule was passed in 1 m. 

 40 i s., and he was coming down the home-stretch at a fair gait, when 

 a friend who had run up to that place motioned to Green to go on, 

 as there was still hope. From that point Forrest was sent along, 

 and came under the wire, amid loud cheering, in 2 m. 16 s. 



Since he became an inmate of Mr. Bonner's stable his progress 

 has been truly wonderful. In the month of July of the present 

 year (1870) Mr. Robert Bonner drove him to wagon on his three- 

 quarter mile track near Tarry town, N. Y., a mile in 2 m. 15 i s., 

 and a week later Mr. A. A. Bonner drove him a mile in harness in 

 2 m. 131 s. On August 9, Mr. John Murphy, the favorite pupil 

 of old Hiram Woodruff', drove him a mile in the marvellous time 

 of 2 m. irj s. Although these trials were witnessed by several 

 reliable persons, and the time made can be depended upon as en- 

 tirely accurate, not having been made in a public race, neither they 

 nor the trial at Hartford can go upon the record, and as Mr. Bonner 

 never permits any of his horses to trot in public for a sum of money, 

 but keeps them solely for his own driving, it is not likely that the 

 world will ever know how great a horse Edwin Forrest really is. 



