XLIV. 



D©xt€f; • Ihree-Mile Heats — Match with Stonewall Jackson of Hartford - 

 Desc-iption of Stonewall. — Dexter and Gen. Butler. — Dexter and 

 Lady Thorn. — Description of Lady Thorn. — The Three- Mile-Heal 

 Race under Saddle. — Dexter and Gen. Butler under Saddle. — Dexter, 

 Butler, and George Wilkes. — Dexter against Time, to beat 2in. 19s. 



AFTER the trial I described in the last chapter, I was 

 pretty well convinced that this young horse, Dexter, 

 was as good a one as had ever come into my hands. Here 

 was a young horse that had never had a quart of oats until 

 he was more than four years old. In his first season, and 

 with very little handling, — -for it is to be remembered that 

 he was turned out from June to October, — he had trotted 

 a trial in 2m. 23]-s., and had finished in masterly style. 

 My opinion of him was so high, that during the winter I 

 matched him to go three-mile heats against a horse that 

 had great fame just then, and was thought by many to be 

 invincible for a long distance. This horse was Stonewall 

 Jackson of Hartford, who had beat Shark with great ease 

 after the race in which Dexter hit himself. After I made 

 this match, some of my friends thought I had been im- 

 prudent and overweeningly confident. The Hartford par- 

 ty, who had the otlier horse, certainly thought so too. It 

 ■was to trot a race of three-mile heats, to go as they pleased, 

 on the Fashion Course, June 26, — rain or shine. The 

 stake was $2,500 a side, half forfeit. 



When I came to talk to Mr. Alley about it, I found that 

 he was not much in favor of letting Dexter trot. He said 

 that he was but a young horse, was not sf;asoned, and that 

 he believed three-mile heats might be too long for liim 



355 



