HUNTING PARK COURSE. 149 



" Same day. Four-mile lieats, in harness. 



"Sir Peter, 11 



"Whalebone, 12 



"Time, llm. 23s.— Second, 11m. 278. 



" The winner is a New York horse. Whalebone is owned 

 in Philadeljjhia. 



" Thursday, October 15. Four-mile heats. 



"Topgallant, 1021 



""Whalebone, 2012 



" A gray from New York, 3 drawn 



" Ephraim Smooth, . dist. 



•' No time kept. 



" Tliis was one of the handsomest trots ever seen on this 

 course. Ephraim Smooth, however, after contesting the first 

 two miles of the first heat, side by side with Topgallant, lost a 

 shoe and was distanced. "Whalebone was side by side with Top- 

 gallant nearly throughout the three other heats, winning one. 

 The second heat was drawn, there being some complaints of 

 foul riding by Topgallant's rider, who came out ahead." I sup- 

 pose this should read against Topgallant's rider, as, if he won 

 the heat, he would hardly complain. 



The time of the three-mile heats has been brought as low as 

 7m. 32^8. by Dutchman, in 1839, and 7m. 40^s. by Lady Suffolk, 

 in 1841, under the saddle ; and as low as 7m. 41s. by Dutch- 

 man, and 7m. 53s. by Ripton, in harness, in 1839 and 1848. Pet 

 and Kemble Jackson have done it in wagons as low as 8m. Is. 

 and 8m. 3s., respectively. So that horseflesh has shown its 

 progress, in these events against time, as victoriously in this, as 

 in any other branch of sporting. 



As of three-mile heats, so it may be said of two, that pace 

 has again gained upon time. Flora Temple and Lady Suff'olk 

 have reduced it to 4m. 57s., and 4m. 59s. respectively, and 

 many have done it in a few seconds over five minutes, even in 

 second heats, and in harness. 



At four-mile heats there has been less improvement than 

 at any other distance. Dutchman has done it in llm. 19s., 

 10m. 51s., and Lady Suflblk in llm. 15s., llm. 34s. Other- 

 wise there has been no gain on Sir Peter's time. In fact, of late 

 years, three and four-mile heats have lost their popularity. 



