MAC. 221 



This is, tlms far, the best time on record at three-mile heats, 

 as was Flora's, recorded above, the best of two-mile heats. 

 Credit enough for the year '53. 



During the spring of 1854, Flora did not appear after Jan- 

 uary 31, when she met Green Mountain Maid at New Orleans, 

 being sold into private hands ; consequently she appeared in all 

 but four times during the year, not being in training until 

 October. Of her four races she won three, being beaten once 

 by Green Mountain Maid, which she paid off a few days after 

 by laying her out in two straight heats. She also beat Mac, 

 who had forced Tacony to his terrible time, the best three in 

 five, in three straight heats, also Jack Walters. In fact, to her 

 this year is all but lost. 



Tacony did himself no credit this year ; receiving forfeit 

 once from Lantern, and getting himself beaten twice by Grey 

 Eddy and once by Mac. 



Mac beat Tacony once, and Know-]^othing twice, of whom 

 more anon. He was himself beaten by Lady Flora and Grey 

 Eddy, who trotted, a wonderfully good horse, in this, his first 

 year, winning five trots, without getting beaten once, against 

 such horses as True John ; Tacony twice ; Mac ; and Highland 

 Maid twice. There was a great deal of good trotting this 

 season, by many horses, who, in a few years, would have been 

 considei'ed first-rate animals and wonders ; but the speed of 

 trotters had come to be so wonderfull}^ increased since 1818, 

 when it was odds against any horse being found in America to 

 do his mile on a trot within three minutes, that now one hardly 

 looked at a 2.30 horse, or cared to record time slower than 2.27 

 or 28 for a mile, or 5.00 for two miles ; such was the progress of 

 horseflesh in so few years. 



There appeared, however, on the course, two or three new 

 horses, two of them of sufficient note to deserve more than a 

 passing notice. 



One of these, it is believed, had trotted a year or two ear- 

 lier, but it is impossible to ascertain, owing to the stupid and 

 dishonest practice of changing names — a practice which I am 

 persuaded arose from a tricky system of starting tried horses, in 

 new places, as untried horses, and in getting bets out of flats. 



The horse in question, one of the best to-day on the tui-f, 



