THE' TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 301 



I'rincess must have trotted the second quarter very fast, for, 

 at the pole, Flora's lead was only a length. Thus they went 

 until half way up the home-stretch ; when the frantic shout 

 of thousands of her admirers inspired the little mare to one 

 of her great rushes, and she won the heat by three lengths 

 in 2m. 23Js. When the judges announced that the record 

 was a second better than ever before, and that Mora 

 was still the sovereign mistress of it, the people were nigh 

 crazy with joy. There was no betting between the heats ; 

 and many yet believed that Eoif could win the race if he 

 liked to do so. 



Flora had a bad start in the second heat. She was a length 

 and a half behind, and under a pull when the word was 

 given; but she darted on to Princess with such a rush 

 that she collared her before she was weU at the turn, and 

 up went the California mare. At the quarter-pole, in 

 thirty-four seconds. Flora led six or seven lengths. At the 

 half-mile, in Im. 09s., her lead was not quite so great ; but 

 she kept all the daylight open to the score, and won by 

 six lengths in 2m. 22s. It was a capital heat for Flora ; 

 and, though she afterwards beat it on this Island at the 

 Union and Fashion Courses, she never surpassed it much, 

 considering the bad start she had. I shall always contend 

 that Flora's best heat was made on this Island. The Kalama- 

 zoo Course, on which she beat 2m. 20s., may have been a 

 mile. It was certified as a mile, and it is too late now to go 

 behind what the record says ; but, if that was a mile, our 

 Island courses are more than a mile, for they measure a 

 mile one foot nearer the pole than that did. Besides, it is 

 a well-known fact, that the Eclipse Course, now called the 

 Centreville, is more than a mile. Even after this heat, 

 some continued in the belief that Princess could have won it. 



In the third heat. Flora took the lead, and went to the 

 quarter in thirty-five seconds, three lengths ahead. Prin- 

 cess gained two lengths in the straight quarter, on the 

 back-stretch, and yet Flora got to the half in Im. 10s. The 



