OLD-TIME TROTTERS. 201 



crease the reputation of the mare so much as it discounted her 

 competitor. 



A match was soon afterwards made between her and a horse 

 known as Vandeburg's Black Stallion, for $500 a side, mile 

 heats ; the stallion in wagon and Flora to go in harness. This 

 race came off at the Union course on Long Island, and was 

 easily won by the mare in three straight heats. 



Her next exploit was on September 9th of that same year 

 and on the same course. The circumstances of her entering 

 into this race were quite peculiar, as she was not entered until 

 after arriving upon the ground on the day of the race. She 

 was not in racing condition, as on the previous day she had 

 been driven very hard, and, on coming home at night, was 

 treated with a " warm mash " and virtually put to bed. On 

 the next morning, however, she looked so fine that her owner 

 decided to drive her over to the track, as he wished to see the 

 races ; and on the road she behaved so well and passed so 

 many going down the road that he concluded " just for luck " 

 to let her try her mettle for the purse. 



The race was mile-heats in harness, and the horses entered 

 were "Whitehall, Delaware Maid, Napoleon, and Hiram. The 

 first-named horse, a fine brown stallion, was the favorite in the 

 race, but all the others were considered good ; and their 

 owners, being very popular trotting men, had given considerable 

 interest to this race. 



It was considered a bold and foolhardy exploit to enter 

 that comparatively unknown little runt of a mare under such 

 circumstances against such horses ; and when her owner, unable 

 to obtain a trotting "skeleton," determined to "put her 

 through" in a common road sulky, his conduct was looked 

 upon as audacious in the extreme. 



"When the word " Go ! " was given the five were all well 

 together for a few seconds, when "Whitehall, with a fine, bold 

 stroke, drew out of the clump and took a commanding lead ; 

 the little bay mare, however, in the old road sulky, kept right 

 on in his wake, making her long, low, sweeping strides with 



