HANDLING AND MANAGING TROTTERS. 273 



much rather have my colts intended for campaigning purposes 

 grown up in their free and natural way until at least two years 

 old, and if longer so much better for the durability of the 

 animal. I may differ in this respect with some of the modern 

 trainer's and drivers, but agree with that great Napoleon of the 

 trotting turf of his day, Hiram Woodruff. Neither is my theory 

 antagonistic to the staying and lasting qualities in such " old 

 time " trotters as Imported Messenger's greatest son — on the 

 trotting turf — old Topgallant, whose first race was made at 

 the age of fourteen years ; or of Sherman Morgan's fastest 

 trotting son, Eipton, who never stepped on a track until after 

 he was five years old ; or of the reigning queen of the trotting 

 turf of her time, Flora Temple, whose first race was when in 

 her sixth year, and who was a regular campaigner for eleven 

 years ; or of the wonderful horse of his day, Dutchman, who 

 had few, if any, equals ; he was on the trotting turf for many 

 seasons, but first saw a race-track at the age of five years. 



The gamy mare, Lady Suffolk, was on the turf for thirteen 

 successive seasons, her first appearance before the public did not 

 occur, however, until she was five years old. 



Goldsmith Maid, the queen of all trotters in her day, and 

 the first to lower the record to 2.14, was eight years old before 

 making her first race, and remained constantly on the turf until 

 about twenty -one years old. 



Dexter, the trotting king of his day, and who for so long 

 held the world's trotting record of 2.16|, had never eaten a 

 bushel of oats — it is said — at four years old, and never saw a 

 race-track until six years of age, and lived to be thirty years 

 old. 



(See Old-time Trotters, Chap. XXVI.) 



It is true that we are now living in a faster age and have 

 more fast trotters and more trotting tracks than in those times, 

 and consequently, cannot afford to wait so long for the develop- 

 ment of our horses ; but how long do the best eacees of the 



PEEIOD LAST ? „ 



18 



