44 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



Mr. Simmons trained her. While I was away with Kan- 

 sas Chief through the Western country, he found that Bella 

 had a good deal of speed, and advised his friend to enter 

 her through the circuit, which he did, commencing at 

 Buffalo. Mr. Phillips drove her her Buffalo race, and 

 as it was her first start, and the first trip away from 

 home, she was very nervous, irritable, and acted badly, 

 being easily beaten, although showing considerable 

 speed. 



At Utica she acted better, but was beaten again. After 

 the Utica race, Mr. Phillips told me he would be unable to 

 be at Springfield, and asked me to drive the mare for him. 

 Mr. Simmons was satisfied with the arrangement, and when 

 we arrived at Springfield, Bella was placed in my charge. 

 I found in working her out for the race that she was what I 

 considered a game mare with plenty of speed. Nashville 

 Girl, better known as May Queen, was in Mr. Green' s stable, 

 and had won all her races through the cii'cuit. She was 

 looked upon by the pool-buyers and talent as a sure winner. 

 In the betting, Nashville Girl was favorite, $100 to $20 over 

 the field. Mr. Simmons said to me, ' ' Splan, I don' t know 

 that you have any chance to win the race, but 1 -want you 

 to drive it just as you would a race that you thought you 

 were able to win. With all these starters, there is bound 

 to be a great deal of scoring. The track is soft .and deep, 

 and the day very warm. They are sure to get tired, and 

 the thing for you to do is to protect your own mare all you 

 can both in scoring and after you get the word, and don' t 

 make a move to win a heat until you see indications that 

 the others are ready to sit down." The first heat Nash- 

 ville Girl won easily in 2:26|, and there and then every- 

 body gave up the race to her. In the second heat Ilickok 

 went out with James Howell, Jr. , and gave her a fight. They 

 trotted a dead heat in 2:24. This did not change the looks 

 of the race very much, as everyone knew that Howell would 

 not come back another heat. Efiie Dean had been distanced 

 in the first heat, but the others were sdll in the fight. In the 



