flora's great match. 239 



The weather, however, was every thing that could be asked, and 

 the drive out to the course was truly delightful. The trotting 

 track, however, was not all that could have been desired, beino- 

 rather dry and dusty to our mind, and did not compare favorably 

 with its condition on some other occasions. Some i^ersons, how- 

 ever, thought it just the thing, and they may have been right. 

 Time is the proper test. 



" Tacony, ridden by Warren Peabody, was the first to 

 appear on the track, and as he jogged around, previous to the 

 match, he looked uncommonly well, we thought, and capable 

 of making as good time as on any former occasion. He is a fine 

 specimen of the American trotting horse, very muscular, open 

 gaited, and, in fact, possesses every requisite of the trotter. 

 His rider, as he jogged along, seemed much at ease, and very 

 confident of success, notwithstanding the extraordinary creature 

 against whom he had to contend. 



" Flora shortly afterwards made her appearance in harness, 

 driven by her favorite driver, Hiram Woodrufi*, who declared 

 after the race that she could beat a locomotive. She looked, as 

 she appeared throughout the summer, extremely well, and 

 jogged around the track as gayly as a cricket. Her friends were 

 much pleased with her, and were ready to back her to anv 

 extent, 100 to 30 being current just before the start. She is a 

 universal favorite, and since the days of Lady Suffolk no nag 

 has stood higher in the estimation of sporting men than Flora 

 Temple. They believe her invincible, and her race yesterday 

 seems to justify that belief. 



THE RACE. 



" Flora Temple won the inside position, and, at the second 

 attempt, went off with the lead. She opened a gap of three or 

 four lengths on the upper turn, and went to the quarter pole in 

 thirty-seven seconds, with all that advantage. On the back 

 stretch Tacony gained on her, and was closing very rapidly on 

 her as they reached the half-mile pole — time 1.13. The mare 

 now increased her speed, and carried Tacony to a break, from 

 which he did not recover readily. Hiram perceiving the 

 distance Tacony was behind, now tried to shut him out entirely, 



