242 The American Tboroiighhred 



Had his liberal and high-spirited owners desired 

 to do so, they could have rendered many of the 

 four-mile sweepstakes of 1840 void of interest by 

 insisting on starting Boston. They frequently 

 allowed the horse to remain in his stable when it 

 was a certainty that by starting him they could 

 have taken the purses offered with hardly more 

 than an ordinary effort by him. 



After Boston so signally defeated Gano in the 

 Georgia match there were two jockey club purses 

 virtually waiting for him at Savannah and Charles- 

 ton. The courtesy of his owners prevented his 

 starting. In the spring of 1840 he started but 

 twice, though it was conceded by every one that 

 in that season he could have won every four- 

 mile purse given within travelling distance of his 

 personality. 



The various jockey clubs between Boston's 

 home at Petersburg and the Union Course at 

 Long Island were dismayed at the prospect of 

 having their programmes ruined by the appear- 

 ance of " Old White-nose," and it was at their per- 

 sonal solicitation that Boston was withdrawn from 

 all of these races and sent away to the South, that 

 the sport of the North might not meet with such 

 serious interference. So feared was the horse at 



