218 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



she ought to. At the half I looked at my watch and told 

 Bail' that we were certainly going fast enough, and to not 

 increase the speed. As we moved around the upx3er turn it 

 seemed to me that without any urging on the part of her 

 driver the mare put on increased sjoeed. Turning into the 

 stretch it seemed to me that for a stride or two she faltered, 

 and I said to Bair, "Better take her back a little." He did 

 so, and at the seven-eighths-mile pole he straightened her 

 out, drew his whip, and touched her very lightly. At this 

 point I brought the runner up lit- ad and head witli Maud 

 and from there to the judges' stand the mare showed all the 

 determination and bravery that you could imagine any ani- 

 mal or man capable of showing. If a man had been in her 

 position and making a struggle for his life he could not have 

 put forth a more superhuman effort than that mare did, 

 and liow anyone can see a horse struggle as trifly and 

 bravely as she did and not admire him is more than I can 

 tell. It took the audience but a very few seconds to learn 

 that Maud S, had beaten the record. They did not wait for 

 the judges to announce the fact from the stand before they 

 set up such a cheer as it seems to me Maud S. and Bair 

 Avill never foiget. After they had given vent to their 

 first enthusiasm Mr. Wm. S. Edwards, the president of the 

 association, and the x^residing judge in the stand, was en- 

 abled to call 1 hem to order long enough to announce that 

 Maud S, had beaten her own previous record, and made the 

 wonderful mark of 2:08f . I have never seen any man under 

 any circumstances receive a greater ovation than this mare 

 did right there. She was literally loaded down with 

 flowers and bouquets enough to have gladdened the heart 

 of the most exacting j^rima donna. 



A great many people naturally thought that because 

 Maud S. had beaten her own record everything in connec- 

 tion with the matter in the sha]3e of weather and track must 

 have been first class. I have had some experience in driv- 

 ing horses against the watch and find there are several things 

 often overlooked iliat have a very material effect on the 



