338 THE TROTTING-IIORSE OF AMERICA. 



devolopmeiit which I contend is best for a trotter, if not 

 absolutely necessary to make a first-rate one. Instead of 

 that, lie had been knocked about at two years old, and at 

 four was put through a preparation like that which running- 

 iiorses receive, by a man who was notorious as a hard worker. 

 Yet, as we have seen, he compelled Flora to do a greater 

 thing in the beating of him than she had been called upon 

 to perform in the con(|uering of Princess and George M. 

 Vatchen. He only lost the race, in my opinion, because 

 Flora was a quicker beginner than he was, and her driver 

 had recourse to the cunning tactics of rushing off with her 

 so as to get the pole, and then " waiting in front." I think 

 John Morgan should have forced the pace more in the lirst 

 heat, after he got well into his stroke. Both the heats were 

 so clos^"' at the finish, that a very little change would have 

 made tK:; result different; and in both heats he showed the 

 most speed in the last quarter of a mile. In the first, 

 she was a length ahead of him when they entered that 

 quarter, and only beat him ont by a head. His reputation 

 for stoutness was very great ; and, if he had forced Flora more 

 in the mile and three-quarters preceding, he might have 

 lasted the longest, and so have won it. Altogether, it was a 

 very extraordinary trot. 



On the 18th, they met again, at three-mile heats, and the 

 odds were 100 to 40 on the mare. The reputation of John 

 Morgan as a three-mile horse had been very great ; but then 

 it was to be remembered that he had not before encountered 

 any trotter that could carry him at any thing like the rate of 

 Flora Temple. Moreover, we have seen that she was such a 

 thorough campaigner, that no horse had been found able to 

 keep at the same relative place with her in a series of races 

 as he began with. Lancet, Princess, and Patchen had all 

 proved this fact, that, the further they pursued their contest 

 with her, the easier they were defeated. John Morgan, 

 great horse and good stayer as he was, proved no (jxception, 

 and was the last of her illustrious victims. The two-mile 



