EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 29 



intended to enter our horses at Poughkeepsie, but were in 

 different classes. The day the entries closed Amos instructed 

 his trainer, Root, to go out and give his horses three heats 

 each, about to the limit of their speed, useing his usual say- 

 ing, " They will never learn to trot unless you trot them." 

 Root done as ordered. As I remember, Black Frank went 

 three heats from 2:26 to 2:28 ; Norwood's three heats close to 

 2:30. I gave my horses three heats each. I gave Bonner the 

 first heat in 2:40, second heat in 2:36, and third heat in 2:33. 

 Great Eastern was then a new beginner and had never yet ap- 

 peared in the Grand Circuit. I gave him his first heat in 

 2:40, second heat in 2:39, and third heat in 2:36. We both en- 

 tered our horses that evening. When our horses appeared on 

 the track at the tap of the bell at Poughkeepsie, Mr. Gillett 

 sat in the Grand Stand, and a gentlem.an asked him " What 

 Feek had ?'' Amos replied, "That is Bonner, he is a good 

 horse, but he is too high in flesh ; he has not had any work, 

 and cannot trot a race out." I won my race, in which we 

 trotted four hard heats, and gave Bonner a record of 2:24. 

 Black Frank started in another class the same day, and was 

 in the pink essence of condition, as Mr. Gillett called it — low 

 in flesh and ready to trot for a man's life ; but he did not get 

 any of the money. I, with Great Eastern, started in another 

 class the next day and won my race in three straight heats, 

 giving Great Eastern a record of 2:30. Norwood started the 

 same day in another class in equally as good condition as Black 

 Frank, and as I remember, got fourth money. Later in the 

 meeting I started my horses in faster classes and got second 

 money in each of them. Mr. Gillett started both of his 

 again, but got no money. Many like circumstances in my ex- 

 perience proves the theory correct that horses are better short 

 of work than overworked when they start out for the money, 

 and that is what we are all looking for. 



The next year, 1875, I started Great Eastern at Roch- 

 ester, August 11. William Sanders, one of the old school- 

 practice horsemen, came in the stable and said to my groom, 



