Prepotent Sons of Hambletonian 159 



from Ashgrove Farm, which I reproduce: "After 

 Lady Thorn defeated Dexter, Mr. Relf proposed 

 two matches with George Wilkes saying, ' Sim- 

 mons, let's you and I make a couple of matches. 

 I know^ you think the brown horse can beat my 

 mare and I think she can beat your horse.' We 

 made one to harness and one to wagon to be 

 trotted a week apart. On the day of the first 

 race McLaughlin, w^ho had trained both the mare 

 and the horse (having softening of the brain, 

 Crooks took Wilkes in charge, and Peg Pfeifer 

 drove the big mare) walked up to us and says : 

 ' Well, old man, you have matched the old mare 

 against the little horse.' ' Yes,' says Mr. Relf. 

 ' What do you think of it, Sam ? ' ' Think of it,' 

 replied Sam, ' Mr. Relf, if that little horse is any- 

 w^here near himself, he will make you think the 

 sun has gone down. Mr. Relf, you tie one of 

 them coal cables around the little horse's sulky 

 and the other end around that big mare's neck, 

 and he will choke her to death.' George W' ilkes 

 won both races in straight heats, trotting the 

 fastest wagon race up to that time. While a trot 

 was in progress at Fashion track. Long Island, 

 and the people all interested in the contest, w^e 

 sneaked Wilkes over to the old Centreville track. 



