206 THE HORSE. 



have given liim the heat. It was a hair-breadth business ; — ad- 

 judged to Flirtilla by only six inches. 



Time, 5m. 54^s. 



Two to one on Flu-tilla. 



Third Heat. — It was now evident that Flirtilla had the field 

 at command, and that nothing, save her restiveness, left any 

 chance to Ariel. At the summons they both took their stations, 

 and the signal being given, went off at a rattling pace ; Flir- 

 tilla taking the lead, and keeping on at a life or death -like pace, 

 apparently determined neither to give nor receive quarter. Bob 

 Wooden had orders to keep her steadily on, and he did so ; 

 gradually dropping the filly, who in the second round, was dead 

 beat. She, however, kept up a hopeless struggle to the last, 

 falling in the rear full 100 yards. 



Thus terminated a match, twice lost to the Northern sports- 

 men, which proper preparation, or good management, would 

 have given them. So much for changing a successful trainer 

 and rider. The epitaph, " I was well and wished to be better — 

 took physic, and here I am," was never more fully verified than 

 in this case. 



An Old Turfjian. 



Mk. Editor ; 



"An Old Turfman" is mistaken in supposing that Ariel beat 

 Flirtilla the first heat, in their match, more than a neck. Both 

 of them came in under whip and spur. The crowd prevented 

 my seeing, when Ariel obtained the lead in the last round, but 

 I did not see her more than half a length ahead. Between the 

 distance and the winning stand Flirtilla gained from the girth to 

 the shoulders.* Ariel was on the outside on coming in — a 

 strong proof that she had not cleared Flirtilla, on getting the 

 lead. 



Had Flirtilla run from the start, or made her run a little 

 sooner, she would have taken the heat ; and it is believed would 

 have won the match that day, even though the race had been 

 two-mile heats instead of three. Ariel on no occasion showed 



* Com. Ridgely was in the winning stand at the race, and will no doubt confirm 

 mv vccollections. 



