44 CANADIAN TURF RECOLLECTIONS 



bank notes in hand, accommodated Mr. Parish by accept- 

 ing a bet of $600 against $200, the Canuck giving his 

 love to Country Maid against the Colonel. 



The betting was heavy all round, with the Pilot a slight 

 favorite, the Colonel next in demand, and Country Maid 

 and Phoebe Dodds being looked upon as very long shots. 

 The track was fetlock deep in mud, and everyone looked 

 to see a slow, waiting race and an attempt made to win 

 on the post, but the blood of the Colonel and Pilot faction 

 was up and the racing in the first heat looked as if one 

 was determined right at the outset to find out the weak 

 spot in his adversary's armor. The struggle between 

 these two was a red hot one from start to stand, during 

 the whole journey not more than half a length separating 

 the two cracks. On the last quarter the two leaders were 

 head and head and the excitement became intense. 

 ''Pilot has it!" ''No, Colonel wins!" "Hurrah for 

 Parish!" "Cheers for Pilot!" were some of the shouts 

 that echoed along the stretch. Three lengths from the 

 stand it was still a head to head struggle, but in the last 

 jump the Colonel stretched his neck an inch or two and 

 the verdict was, ' ' The Colonel wins the heat by a nose. ' ' 

 Phoebe Dodds was a poor third and the Maid a dozen 

 lengths behind her. So closely matched appeared the 

 two leaders that it was even money on their chances, and 

 the champions of both stables stuck to their representa- 

 tives like thoroughbreds. Phoebe Dodds and Country 

 Maid were lost sight of. In the second heat all four got 

 away well bunched, but before the quarter was reached 

 the two favorites had left their company and again a 

 ding-dong race was begun. Laying side by side, each 

 jockey watched the other and not for a single jump dur- 

 ing the heat was daylight perceptible between the two 

 leaders. One time Pilot would lead by half a length, then 

 the Colonel would let out a link, and so the great struggle 

 was fought out. Coming into the stretch for the run 

 home the Colonel showed a trifle on the lead, and again 

 the air resounded with the mad shouting of the partizans 

 of each stable. At the ' ' draw-gates ' ' Pilot had again got 



