166 THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 



that we have almost entirely allowed saddle-races and long 

 heats to pass out of practice. I am induced to say here of 

 the two horses that started in harness against Dutchman's 

 time, they both lost rather by ill-luck and inadvertence than 

 by reason of lack of ability. Flora Temple would, in fact, 

 have accomplished the feat, had she been allowed the dis- 

 tance that the CentreviUe Course is more than a mile, three 

 times over. But this could not be ; for, when gentlemen 

 have taken a course for a mile at the beginning of a race, 

 they will have to take it for just that distance, and no more 

 at the end thereof. 



General Butler lost by reason of his bad breaks in the 

 third mile. Now, in my judgment, he did not break because 

 he was tired, but because of the injudicious striking-in of one 

 of his managers to go with him with another horse at that 

 juncture. Had it been left to Butler and young Ben Mace's 

 running-horse that went with him from the first to finish it 

 alone, I have no doubt he would have kept on and won it. 

 I had money laid the other way, and considered it as good 

 as lost. This General Butler is a very remarkable horse. 

 He is one that you do not feel confidence .in betting on, and 

 are afraid to bet against. On the day that he made his great 

 two-mile time to wagon against George M. Patchen, he was 

 a wonder. I am rather inclined to the belief that he could 

 have equalled Dutchman's three-mile time that day, and 

 have done it to a wagon. 



. In regard to colts, I have previously observed that the 

 forcing system in the raising of trotters was not advisa- 

 ble. I am satisfied that -it is not only expense laid out to 

 110 use, but for a purpose which is likely to be mischievous. 

 Very early maturity is only to be attained accompanied 

 with the liability, the almost certainty, of corresponding 

 early decay ; and, to achieve such excellence as that to which 

 Dutchman attained, the trotting-horse mrst have all his 

 powers long after the period at which most running-horses 

 have left the turf. The reason is obvious. The trotter has 



