214 Making the American Thoroughbred 



2d mile, Fashion forced the pace again, but * the big mare ' shook her 

 off; after ascending the hill at the half-mile post, Fashion again 

 went up and laid with her this time, quite through to the stand, 

 coming in lapt on her. This mile was run in i : 53. AH the way down 

 the back stretch, Joe gave Fashion no let up; the two were lapped, 

 and near the half-mile post Fashion got such a tickling from Joe 

 Laird's heels, as to drive her up nearly to Peytona's throatlatch! 

 There was no daylight between them as they passed the stand, 

 having run this 3d mile in 1:57; their rate had sensibly declined on 

 the last quarter of the mile, and the friends of each were sanguine 

 that in a long and severe brush their money was safe. We thought 

 Fashion weakened in this mile; at any rate, she did not appear so full 

 of running, nor go so strong as she ought, or as Peytona seemed to. 

 In the fourth mile, upon getting into straight work on the rear 

 stretch, Laird set to work in earnest, and though Barney felt the 

 utmost confidence in the nonpareil under him, he was not disposed 

 to throw away a chance. The claret was tapped on both sides, but 

 Peytona's youth, strength and stride, told, at last, as did her com- 

 petitor's, in her match with Boston. Before reaching the hill, Pey- 

 tona drew out in front, and the heat was all over but the shouting! 

 Laird bottled up his mare around the turn, and tried it on again up 

 the quarter stretch, but it was of no use; Peytona outfooted her, 

 and appeared to win with something in hand, by a length in the clear, 

 though she, as well as Fashion, got a taste of cold steel between the 

 draw-gate and the winning post. The fourth mile was run in 1 :55f, 

 and the heat in 7:39!. 



"One of our contemporaries is very naturally pleased at 'the 

 respectability of the shout' which greeted Peytona on her winning 

 the heat; indeed the cheering was tremendous from all parts of the 

 course, though the defeat of Fashion ' smote heavily on the hearts 

 of tens of thousands!' 



"Both horses cooled out well; Peytona recovered earliest, but 

 before they were brought up for the second heat, she did not appear 

 to have any advantage. How they ever got outside of the course 

 or back again, we cannot say; the course between the draw-gates 

 which are very far apart, is double the width of Broadway, and it 

 was so densely packed, that it was with great difficulty the horses 

 were got back to the stand for the jockies to dismount and be 

 weighed, after the ist heat. 



"Fashion's friends were not very much surprised at her loss of 

 the ist heat, and we heard no bets laid as a hedge. We subsequently 



