BREAKING THE RECORD. 177 



Eose's filly Yesolia, by that great horse Stamboul, 

 2:12J, and she was quite a good filly, by the way. 

 My single fear was that Sunol would become so fright- 

 ened at the crowd that she might not steady herself. 

 So before the race I endeavored to accustom her to the 

 people, driving easily up and down the stretch on two 

 or three occasions. Still she was hardly reconciled to 

 the noise and excitement of the race-track, but she won 

 the race in 2:314 and 2:25. We then went home and 

 trained her as usual, driving no more miles, but speed- 

 ing fast quarters, with an occasional "pipe-opener"' at 

 a half. Her next engagement was at Petaluma, 

 August 22d. After going to Petaluma I drove her a 

 mile and repeat in 2:38 and 2:33. This was on the 

 20th. In the race she had Margaret S. (by Director) 

 and Fortuna agamst her. She broke going away in 

 the first heat, but settled and won it in 2:28^. The 

 next heat she won m 2:26|, almost walking under the 

 wire. AVe returned to Palo Alto, and kept her at 

 home until the second week in October, when we went 

 to the Bay District track, at San Francisco. Here she 

 was driven a mile and repeat on two occasions — the 

 first in 2:32 and 2:35, and the second in 2:2S|^ and 2:23. 

 The latter work was on the 18th. On the 20th she 

 was to start against the two-year-old record — 2:21 — 

 made by AYildflower, but she was not in condition to 

 do herself full justice. She was suffering from troubles 

 peculiar to her sex, and being naturally of a nervous 

 temperament, was not near her best. But she suc- 

 ceeded in breaking the record in 2:20|^. I was not 

 satisfied with this, and decided to remain at the track 

 for another week and o^ive her another trial on the 



