THE TnOTTlXU HORSE OF AMEhWA. 259 



had at tliat time, and some endeavored to dissuade me from 

 starting the little marc. It was 100 to 70 on tlie liorse at 

 tlie start. As soon as the word was given, Flora went with 

 such a rush that she was over herself on the turn, and lost 

 a good many lengths before she settled to work ; hut at the 

 quarter-pole she had recovered lier stroke, and she soon over- 

 hauled Centreville, and gave him a sight of a fast stern- 

 chase. Joel Conkling drove him ; and, linding tluit he could 

 not come up with Flora, he took him in hand, and just 

 dropped into the distance. The mare won the heat with 

 great ease in 2m. 42s. The heat was a good one ; and Flora 

 had trotted so fast after her break that everybody could see 

 she was mistress of the weight. Odds of 100 to 60 was 

 forthwith laid upon her ; and she won the second and third 

 heats in 2m. 46s. and 2m. 44s. 



Considering the time of year, the state of the ground, 

 and the fact that she was not in reality in training, this was 

 a performance of uncommon significance, and it added vastly 

 to Flora's value. That winter she was sold to Mr. Boerum 

 of Williamsburg, with an engagement to trot Young Dutch- 

 man for $1,000. The price paid for Flora was $4,000. She 

 had, as was before related, been sold by George Perrin to 

 his brother John for $575 in the previous spring. A great 

 race very often adds immensely to the value of a horse, or 

 rather, I should say, it vastly increases the price that the 

 world is inclined to rate the horse at. Flora's is not the 

 only instance I have known in which a trotter jumped from 

 hundreds almost to thousands by reason of one performance. 

 It sometimes happens that it is not the interest of the 

 owners to let the horse be placed in a situation to do his best 

 in public ; and, again, a trainer of good observation and 

 faith will sometimes be far ahead of the owner and of the 

 public in his estimate of a horse. 



Before the match between Flora and Young Dutchman 

 came off, she went to Philadelphia to trot with Black Doug- 

 las, a young horse of great private reputation. They trot- 



