190 OLD-TIME TROTTERS. 



trotting record of 2.17i; and finally, that honest and gamy 

 race-mare, dying in the harness and now lying under a monu- 

 ment perpetuating her memory, American Girl. 



Many others might be mentioned in detail, some of whom 

 may be as worthy of mention as any of these, but in a work 

 like this it should not be expected. 



It will appear that in the trotting races of fifty or sixty 

 years ago (and even more than that), this sport was highly in- 

 teresting and entertaining to many of the good citizens of 

 those days, and ever has been more or less so since the days of 

 the earliest Morgans, more than ninety years ago. It is sup- 

 posed that then, as now, betting on the results of the races was 

 considered much the same, as 



"A noble, virtuous citizen 



Is he who backs the winner ; 

 But he who backs a losing nag 

 Is a gambler and a sinner." 



Topgallant was a dark bay horse foaled in 1808, on Long 

 Island, 1ST. Y. He stood fifteen-three high ; he was plain and 

 raw-boned but had rather a fine head and neck, and eyes ex- 

 pressive of much courage. His sire was old Imported Messen- 

 ger. 



Topgallant was surely an old-time trotting horse and one of 

 the best of his time ; and, being a son of old Messenger, his ex- 

 ploits on the turf had much to do with directing the attention 

 of the trotting world to Messenger and his stock. 



In speaking of this old-time trotter, the late Hiram Wood- 

 ruff in the " Trotting Horse of America," says : " He was, in 

 fact, in some respects the most extraordinary trotter that ever 

 came under my observation. In the capital points of longevity 

 and endurance I have never known quite his equal, all things 

 taken into account. "When I say longevity I mean the length 

 of days while serviceable as a trotter, and able to meet and 

 beat very often the best of his time. I do not mean vegetat- 

 ing, about half dead at the root and rotten at the trunk, as 

 many of the horses spoken of for their longevity have been. 



