OLD-TIME TROTTERS. 203 



gained her former confidence and steadiness, matched her 

 against "Philadelphia Sail" for $200 around the "Eed House" 

 track. She won with great ease. 



Her next race was with Dutchman at the Union course, 

 mile heats, best three in live, for $250 a side, on November 

 10th. She won in three straight heats, thus placing herself in- 

 disputably "well up" among the best trotters of that day, by 

 recording the time at 2.40, 2.39, and 2.36. 



In the spring of 1853 she was placed in the hands of that 

 Napoleon of the trotting sulky and one of the best condition- 

 ers and trainers of his day, Hiram Woodruff ; who, after hand- 

 ling her more or less during the season, and becoming thor- 

 oughly convinced that she was a weight puller as well as a fast 

 and stout trotter, matched her in December of that year for 

 $500 a side, to trot, mile heats, best three in five, with Center- 

 ville, to wagons of 250 lbs. 



As the mare had been let up in the season's training and 

 had had no fast work for several weeks, the horse talent con- 

 sidered it a rash act in Hiram to make the race under the cir- 

 cumstances ; and his friends endeavored to dissuade him from 

 starting the mare in the race, the betting being 100 to 70 on 

 the horse at the start ; but no one knew the race qualities and 

 stamina of that little mare better than Hiram and he drove 

 her himself in this race. The first heat was a good, but not a 

 sensationally fast, one, but Flora being an easy winner the bet- 

 ting was changed from 100 to 70 on the horse to 100 to 60 on 

 the mare, and she won the second and third heats with great 

 ease ; the time of the three heats were 2.42, 2.46, and 2.44. 



Considering the time of the year, the condition of the track, 

 and the fact that she was not really in training, this was a per- 

 formance of uncommon significance, adding vastly to Flora's 

 value. 



Soon after this great performance she was sold to a Mr. 

 Boerum of "Williamsburg,— with her engagement to trot Young 

 Dutchman for $1,000. Her price was $4,000. 



She had been, as before related, sold to John C. Perrin by 



