70 ROAD, TRACK, AND STABLE. 
time, being matched to beat 2.19. He was trained by 
Woodruff, but ridden in the race by John Murphy, a 
very skilful horseman, and one of, the few jockeys 
whose reputation for honesty was always absolutely 
unblemished. In this match, Dexter trotted the first 
half-mile in 1.064; but after passing that point he 
broke. ‘“ When he broke,” Hiram Woodruff relates, 
“the people cried, ‘He can’t do it this time!’ But he 
settled well, and when he came on to the home stretch 
he had a fine burst in. I was up towards there, and 
sung out to Johnny, as he came by me, ‘Cut him 
loose; you’ll do it yet!’ Then Johnny clucked to 
him, and he went away like an arrow from the bow, 
true and straight, and with immense resolution and 
power of stroke. J knew he must do it if he did not 
break before he got to the score, and up I tossed my 
hat into the air. I never felt happier in all my life. 
The time given by the judges was 2m. 181 s.; the 
outsiders made it somewhat less.” 
Of the great trotters, Dexter seems to have been 
the best “all-round ”’ horse, for none of his contempo- 
raries was able to beat him either in one, two, or three 
mile heats; and he showed his superiority to a wagon 
or under saddle as well as in harness. Hiram Wood- 
ruff anticipated, but did not live to see his greatest 
triumphs. “It is a long time now,” he wrote shortly 
before his own death, “since I took Mr. Foster to his 
box, and, pointing out his very remarkable shape, — 
the wicked head, the game-cock throttle, the immense 
depth over the heart, the flat, oblique shoulder, laid 
back clean under the saddle, the strong back, the 
mighty haunches, square and as big as those of a 
cart-horse, and the good, wiry legs, — predicted to 
