278 HORSE-RACING IN ENGLAND 



American time-piece is a little slower than the 

 English, and therefore more favourable to short 

 times, or there may be (and, indeed, there are) 

 some other reasons ; but the fact remains. 



The fastest times for the American race-horse 

 (not the 'trotter,' but the 'galloper') at home are 

 (or were a few years ago) : for half a mile, 

 47f seconds ; a mile, i minute 39! seconds ; a 

 mile and a half, 2 minutes 34f seconds ; two 

 miles, 3 minutes 27^ seconds ; three miles, 5 

 minutes 26^ seconds ; and four miles, 7 minutes 

 i5f seconds. These times appear to be gene- 

 rally admitted as official by Americans, 



Unfortunately we have few, if any, officially 

 certified ' clockings,' unless in matches run against 

 time, and it is difficult to discover any such match 

 wherein the time within which a certain feat had 

 to be done was less than an hour. However, 

 'The Druid' relates that Semiseria and Queen of 

 the Gipsies ' are said ' to have done half a mile 

 'in 37 seconds,' and this would, of course, be 

 I of seconds less than the American 'record,' 

 which seems preposterous ; but he (ignoring, 

 naturally, the ' mile in a minute ' ascribed by 

 Baron Munchausen's descendants and the children 

 of the Jew Apella to Childers, as well as the 



