158 tkaininCt the trotting horse. 



The close and exciting contest at East Saginaw 

 showed Wilton and Palo Alto to be jDretty well 

 matched, and as both were entered in the $5,000 stake 

 for the 2:30 chiss, to be trotted July 22d at Detroit, 

 that event became decidedly interesting. Palo Alto 

 had not had a sufficient preparation to meet the strain 

 of a fighting-race like that at Saginaw without feehng 

 its effects, and he was not as good a horse at Detroit 

 as he was at Saginaw. He was a trifle muscle-sore, 

 and consequently unsteady when the pinch came. 

 There were only five starters in the race, the now 

 famous Guy with Splan behind him being one, but 

 about all the good he did that day was to make trouble 

 at the start, and give exhibitions of various ways of 

 going, exchisive of the trot. He has kept up his reputa- 

 tion, thouo^h when he takes it in his head to trot he is 

 " a whirlwind " sure enough. Palo Alto went into the 

 air at the start in the first heat, and I just steadied 

 him and made no move for the heat. Wilton never 

 was headed and won in fine style in 2:19|. The next 

 heat I kept Wilton pretty close company all tlie way, 

 but Palo Alto left his feet in the stretch and lost 

 the heat in 2:19i. In the third heat Palo Alto made 

 a still better fight, and had the best of it at the head 

 of the stretch. He carried Wilton to a break, but just 

 at the critical moment he broke also, by which time 

 Wilton had recovered and come fast to the wire, 

 ^vinning the third heat and the big stake in 2:20 flat. 

 Palo Alto was beaten, but he ^vas by no means dis- 

 graced in this the only defeat he has ever met. Indeed 

 this race is a brighter mark in his brdliant career than 

 many of his easy victories for the best test a race 



