FASHION vs. PEYTONA 



Up to 1845 there had been four North and South matches 

 known as the "great" matches. Two of them have been 

 described. The other two were between Ariel and Flir- 

 tilla in 1825 and Fashion and Boston in 1842. The Ariel- 

 Flirtilla match was of 3-mile heats for $20,000, with side 

 bets which increased the stake to $30,000. The Fashion- 

 Boston match was of 4-mile heats for $20,000. Both were 

 run over the Union Course. Flirtilla was owned by 

 Col. William Wynn, was financially backed in this contest 

 by Dr. Wyche, of North Carolina, and was trained and 

 managed by Col. W. R. Johnson, who studiously eschewed 

 lobsters and brought Flirtilla out in triumph. But his 

 own Boston went down in defeat. The score now being 

 even the next contest was regarded as the one that would 

 settle the long standing sectional rivalry. This situation 

 alone would have been enough to excite all turfdom. 

 But, in addition, the two contestants Fashion and 

 Peytona had made great names; they were believed to 

 be evenly matched; and the fact that they, above all 

 others, had been chosen to throw the scales to one side 

 or the other, caused the most remarkable demonstration 

 ever witnessed on an American race course. 



Fashion was a satin-coated chestnut, with a star and 

 a ring of white above the coronet of her left hind foot; 

 on her right quarter she had three dark spots; was well 

 formed; her notable points being the muscular develop- 

 ment of her quarters, thighs and gaskins. She always 

 ran with a loose rein, was true as steel, her isposition 

 faultless she could be placed anywhere. 



