246 The American Thoroughbred 



seven days before he had run most gallantly in 

 defeating Fashion's half-brother Mariner, at Balti- 

 more, and a week previous to that had beaten 

 three horses at Washington with the utmost ease. 



In this day and time we would explain it by 

 saying that the horse had gone stale from over- 

 exertion. Whatever the cause, Boston was so 

 far amiss that he was not able to raise a decent 

 gallop. His owners did not wager a dollar on 

 him, and the critics of the time said that on this 

 day " he could not have beaten a cocktail." 



At the end of 1841 Boston had started thirty- 

 eight times. He had won thirty-five races. 

 Twenty-six of these had been at four-mile heats 

 and seven of them at three-mile heats. And 

 he had gathered for the benefit of his owners 

 just a little less than ^50,000. 



