THE TURF AND THE TROTTING HORSE. 549 



Emma, adding another to his long list of splendid victories ; and 

 two races in which George Wilkes beat Commodore Vanderbilt. 



November 16th, 1865, the gentlemen of New York interested 

 in horses had the high honor of entertaining General Grant at 

 their pleasant rendezvous, Dubois's Club House, on Harlem Lane. 

 The Club House is an open cottage building, situated near the 

 road, with a one-half mile course immediately in the rear. 

 Through the agency of Mr. George Wilkes, during General 

 Grant's visit to the city, the owners of most of the fine horses 

 were informed of the General's desire to see their horses, and, 

 upon solicitation, he appointed a day to meet them at Dubois's 

 Club House, On the day appointed, there was such a gathering 

 of trotting horses and horsemen as was never equalled. Flora 

 Temple, still living, was there to claim admiration for the splendid 

 performances of other days j Dexter, in the height of fame ; The 

 Auburn Horse, of whose great speed every one present had caught 

 glimpses; Lady Emma, Lantern, Peerless, George Wilkes, Gene- 

 ral Butler, Toronto Chief, Commodore Vanderbilt, Brunette, Ella 

 Sherwood, Lady Clifden, and many others. The General, who is 

 a great lover of the horse, was highly gratified; and his discrimi- 

 nating remarks indicated his ability to review an army of horses 

 quite as well as an army of men. 



This review showed the strength and richness of the trotting 

 turf in material for various and brilliant displays of speed, and in 

 the seasons of 1866 and 1867 these succeeded each other so 

 rapidly as to lose something of their former novelty. The season 

 of 1866 opened early. The reappearance of Dexter on the 15th 

 of June was preceded by several fine races. In one of these, 

 which took place on the 15th of May, on the Fashion Course, 

 Rosamond, a dark chestnuD mare by Old Columbus, and Mambrino 

 Pilot, in whom the strains of Messenger and Pilot are united, took 

 part. Mambrino Pilot, although untrained, won one heat in 2 m. 

 34 f s. The other three heats were won by Rosamond, who trotted 

 the first in 2 m. 30 1 s. On the 30th of May, Shark, a really 

 first-cla^s horse, but almost uniformly unsuccessful, beat Lady 

 Emma in 2 m. 28* s., 2 m. 30 s., and 2 m. 36 s.; Lady Emma 

 winning two of the five heats in 2 m. 28f s., and 2 m. 261 s. 



The antagonist of Dexter, on the 15th of June, was George M. 

 Patchen, Jr., a son of George M. Patchen, a horse sixteen and 

 one-half hands high, and of proportionate size, but compactly 

 built, and possessing rare ability as a trotter. He had beaten 

 Commodore Vanderbilt on the 1st of the month, and high hopes 

 were entertained of his power to dispute the supremacy of the 

 " King of the Turf;" but Dexter beat him easily in three suc- 

 cessive heats. After beating General Butler and Commodore 

 Vanderbilt once more. Dexter made a tour of the country, trotting 



