304 THE TROTTING-IIORSE OF AMERICA. 



thus, Flora made a dart ahead, and crossed the score a length 

 in the lead in 2m. 23s. At the quarter-pole Flora's lead 

 was two lengths, and this she carried to the half. So it 

 continued round the lower turn. Princess was unable to 

 close with Flora ; but the latter had to keep the pace rery 

 strong to retain the lead. But, when they struck the home- 

 stretch, the long struggle at such a great rate had settled 

 the California mare, while Flora remained full of trot. 

 Princess broke badly. Flora made a lightning rush at the 

 shout that was set up, and Eoff had no great deal to spare 

 in saving his distance. The time of the heat, trotted all 

 the way without a skip or a break, and some of it at the 

 rate of 2m. 20s. to the mile, was 4m. 50 ^s. It still remains 

 the best two-mile heat that ever was trotted in harness. 

 I never saw but one in any way of going to equal it; 

 and that was when Dexter trotted his two miles to wagon 

 in 4m. 56^8., and jogged in from half way up the stretch. 



After this heat in 4m. 50js., Eoff complained that Flora 

 crossed him on the turn in the second mile. The judges, 

 however, held that she was far enough ahead to take the 

 pole without compelling Princess to shorten her stride. 

 McMann, in turn, claimed the race as well as the heat, 

 because Princess, as he alleged, was distanced; but the 

 truth was, there was no judge in the distance-stand, the 

 distance-judge having got by mistake into the distance-stand 

 for mile heats, three in five. The trotting of this heat had 

 opened the eyes of those who had up to that time believed 

 that the California mare would beat Flora whenever Eoff 

 called upon her to do so. It was clear enough that, how- 

 ever fast she might have gone in California, in the trial with 

 the pacer, she was at her best in the first mile of that heat, 

 where Flora was a length ahead in 2m. 23s. It was equally 

 plain that Flora had out-lasted as well as out-trotted Prin- 

 cess ; and, the farther they went, the more evident her supe- 

 riority became. There were plenty of betters now ready W 

 lay a hundred to thirty on Flora. 



