SUNOL AND LILLIAN WILKES. 179 



I had been trainino^ her under pretty high pressure 

 during the winter, and that she had broken down. 



She was given only exercise until my return from 

 JSTew York, May 19th. Then I found her hind ankles 

 not in the best of shape, but commenced joggmg her. 

 It was about a month before I dared give her fast 

 work ; and she was brushed very little until I had her 

 legs well seasoned. Then I worked her on our usual 

 speed-making plan until she could step a quarter in 

 about 0:30. Having the necessary speed, I gave her 

 mile and repeat work, and when I left home she was 

 in splendid form, and fit to race with anything. At 

 the Bay District track she caught cold, and this 

 developed a case of distemper so severe that she did 

 not eat for five days. At ^"apa the weather was 

 intensely hot, which did not agree with her. Her 

 appetite was not good, and being a very highly organ- 

 ized mare, of nervous temperament, she became much 

 reduced. I skipped the Santa Eosa Meeting, thinking 

 she would have ample time to recover her strength 

 before filling her engagement at Petaluma. But she 

 was more reduced than I supposed, and was far from 

 being right when she met Lillian Wilkes and Margaret 

 S., at Petaluma, August 29th. My friend Goldsmith 

 had Lillian Wilkes in fine shape, and Margaret S. made 

 me go the first heat in 2:21^. Then Lillian was cut 

 loose and won the race in 2:17f, 2:22, 2:25. I think, 

 however, even in the condition Sunol was, I could that 

 day have beaten Lillian single-handed. 



A week later, at Oakland, Sunol again met Lillian 

 Wilkes and Margaret S., and avenged the Petaluma 

 defeat, winning in straight heats in 2:21, 2:24J, 2:20. 



