386 THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 



I think it was yery bad policy for the owners of Dexter 

 to start him in this time-race. The horse had ah*eady made 

 sucli time under the saddle, — in his match the year before 

 on the Fashion, and at Buffalo this year, — that to have him 

 come back from that great record should have been avoided. 

 Yet it was perfectly certain, one would have thought, that 

 on such a course and in such weather he could not get any- 

 where near his best mark of 2m. 18s. In going against 

 another horse, it mattered very little what the time was, be- 

 cause it would be assumed that Dexter could have gone faster 

 if it had been requisite for him to do so. But, in going 

 against time, Dexter was really trotting against himself, as 

 his time was much the best time that had ever been made 

 Now, to start Dexter on a bad track and on a bad day 

 against Dexter on a good track and good day was not wise. 

 Yet this was virtually what was done at Baltimore. 



The little horse was now taken to Washington, where he 

 appeared upon the National Course on the 20th of Novem- 

 ber, mile heats, three in five, in harness, against Silas Eich. 

 The company was very distinguished. Sir Frederick Bruce 

 the English Minister, and the Marquis de Montholon the 

 French Minister, were present. Gen. Grant was one of 

 the judges. The first heat was slow, — 2m. 39s. In the 

 second heat, Doble cut loose from Silas Kich, and made the 

 mile in 2m. 21^s. The third heat was 2m. 27^s. 



This concluded as good a years performance as there is 

 to be found in the records of trotting-horses ; and the mile 

 at Washington in 2m. 21 .\s., late in the month of November, 

 shows that after the thousands of miles Dexter had travelled, 

 and the many arduous performances he had been called 

 upon to make, he was fully as good as, if not better than, 

 he had been at any time during the season. He was of 

 course drawn very tine, and reduced to a mere frame of bone 

 and muscle, pretty much as he had been wlien he finished 

 the doings of the year 18G5 by beating Gen. Butler two- 

 mile heats to wagon. 



