53S THE HORSE. 



of a youthful rival. In November she beat Gree Mountain 

 Maid and Rhode Island at Rochester. After her return to New 

 York she trotted with Mac, an old antagonist of Lady Suffolk. 

 She beat him easily in 2 m. 31f s , 2 m. 32 s., and 2 m. 33 s. 



Not long after this race, Flora Temple became the property of 

 James McMann, who henceforth drove her in her principal races, 

 and with whom she is chiefly associated. Her first appearance 

 after this change of ownership was in a race with Sontag. This 

 mare was by Vermont Hambletonian, a grandson of Messenger, 

 and a sire of many famous trotting horses. In this race Flora 

 Temple was driven by Warren Peabody (Hiram Woodruff had 

 driven her in most of her previous races), and was beaten by Son- 

 tag in 2 m. 31 s., 2 m. 33 s., and 2 m. 85 s. The loss of this 

 race would seem to be owing to the change of drivers, as the best 

 time made had been repeatedly beaten by Flora Temple on pre- 

 vious occasions. She was now matched to trot twenty miles within 

 an hour, but was withdrawn after trotting twelve miles. Like 

 Lady Suffolk, she does not appear to have been constituted for the 

 dragging effort which is required for success in such races. 



It was in October of the year 1856 that Flora Temple and the 

 great Morgan horse, Ethan Allen, trotted their first race. Ethan 

 Allen may well be the pride of New England, for a finer built and 

 more beautiful trotter was never harnessed. He had just beaten 

 Rose of Washington and Hiram Drew ; and this, with his easy and 

 perfect trotting gait, made many regard him as fully a match for 

 the pet of Long Island. The race came off on the 5th of Novem- 

 ber, and was won by Flora in two heats in 2 m. 32 s., and 2 m. 

 36 s. It proved that Ethan Allen had hardly arrived at the 

 period of development, or become sufficiently seasoned 'upon the 

 turf, to compete with its mature and experienced mistress. 



Her first match in 1857 was with Rose of Washington. This 

 Messenger mare was bred by that veteran horseman, Smith Burr, 

 of Comae, Long Island, and was a full sister of Lady Woodruff. 

 Although she had been beaten by Ethan Allen when four years 

 old, she was now fully matured and in prime condition for the race. 

 Flora, on the contrary, had only shortly returned from her .winter 

 quarters, and had not had the work necessary to put her in condi- 

 tion to trot with a rival who had beaten Tacony in 2 m. 30 s. and 

 2 m. 31 s. that same season. In addition, it was stipulated that 

 Flora should draw a wagon, Rose of Washington going in har- 

 ness.* The result was that Flora was beaten in three straight 

 heats. Another race between these two mares took place two 



* A horse is held by the best judges to be able to trot under the saddle 

 three seconds faster than in harness, that is, harnessed to a sulky, and 

 six seconds faster than when harnessed to a wagon. 



