THE TURF AND THE TROTTING HORSE. 537 



York, where she soon became known on the suburban roads as a 

 trotter of unusual promise. In the summer of 1850 she trotted 

 her first race, a half mile, on the old Red-House track. In the 

 fall of the same year she trotted with Delaware Maid, Whitehall, 

 Napoleon, and Hiram, winning in 2 m. 55 s., 2 m. 52 s., and 

 2 m. 49 s. 



In 1852 she beat the horse Centreville in 2 m. 42 s., and this 

 year she was sold again ; the price paid was four thousand dollars. 

 In 1853 she beat Black Douglas, who had previously beaten her 

 on the Hunting Park Course, Philadelphia. In this race she 

 trotted a mile in 2 m. 3U s. Her races with Highland Maid 

 took place the same season. This mare was bred in Orange 

 county, New York, and was of the purest Messenger blood. She 

 was very powerful, and a great strider, and was then, like Flora 

 Temple, in the first flush of what promised to be a brilliant career. 

 Their first race was in harness, and came off on the Centreville 

 (Long Island) Course, on the 15th of June, 1853. Highland 

 Maid won the first heat in 2 m. 29 s., and the second in 2 m. 

 27 s., which last was the best time that had then been made in 

 harness. Flora Temple had pushed her antagonist to the top of 

 her speed, and the great strain had told upon her. In the third 

 heat she gave out, and was distanced in 2 m. 32 s. The next 

 race between them was to wagons, and took place on the 28th of 

 the same month. In the first heat Flora Temple got the lead, and 

 maintained it, winning in 2 m. 28 s. The next heat was won by 

 Highland Maid in 2 m. 32 s. The third heat was severely con- 

 tested, and was declared a dead heat. The fourth was won by 

 Highland, Maid in 2m. 33 s. But in the fifth and sixth Flora 

 Temple showed her superior power to repeat by beating her rival 

 in 2m. 31 s. and 2 m. 35 s. This was a very severe race, and 

 Highland Maid, not being thoroughly matured and seasoned, did 

 not recover from it for a long time. It raised Flora Temple to 

 the rank of the first trotting horses of the country. 



The next month she trotted with Tacony. This horse was bred 

 in Canada, and had trotted under the saddle in 2 m. 25 s. The 

 race was in harness, and was won by Tacony in three desperately 

 contested heats, the time being 2 m. 28 s., 2 m. 27 s., 2 m. 29 s. 

 The horses were immediately matched to trot again two-mile heats 

 in harness, the race to come off in five days. Flora Temple won 

 easily in 4 m. 59 s., and 5 m. 1 s. On the 26th of July she beat 

 Tacony again at Saratoga; and afterwards, in 1856, distanced him 

 in 2m. 24 s., effectually establishing her superiority. 



In 1854 Flora Temple beat Lady Brooks in four heats, and 

 Kemble Jackson in five heats, to wagons. The victory over this 

 veteran was only one after a terrific struggle. It seemed hard for 

 the victor over so many courses to lay all his laurels at the feet 



