178 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



ably strong field to start against, as the lot contained Ken- 

 tucky Wilkes, Deck Wright, Kitty Bates, Palma, and 

 Katie Middle ton. By this time I learned that to give Wedge- 

 wood a severe first heat, either in his work or in a race 

 seemed to distress him very much. I thereupon concluded 

 that the best way to win with him was to lay him up until 

 I saw that he was in condition to do Ms best. He was rather 

 a close-made horse, sometimes would not sweat out freely, 

 and was rather slow about emptying himself. When I 

 would first take him out for work it would seem as though 

 it was impossible to make him extend himself, and if I 

 drove him hard heats he would be very much distressed, 

 both in wind and limbs. He being the favorite over the^ 

 field in the Cleveland race I expected a battle and was not 

 disappointed, as I got all I had bargained for, and more too. 

 My opponents gave me the best they had in hand and the 

 judges annoyed me all they could by trying to compel me 

 to go off in the lead in the first heat and win all the time. 

 I think it is all right for the judges to see that everybody 

 tries to win when they can but I believe that the driver 

 and the owner of a horse are the best judges of how and 

 when to win with their own horse. It seems to me that if 

 a man pays 10 per cent, entrance money he ought to have- 

 the privilege of saying how his horse shall be driven, pro- 

 vided of course that he is trying to win. Some people 

 may get back with the remark that men lay their horses up 

 in heats to work the pool-box. I wish to deny right here, 

 that I ever drove a horse a heat in the interest of the pool- 

 box. I never played my horse, for or against, in a heat 

 and I never saw a man that did do it make a great deal of 

 money at the game. In this race I backed my horse for- 

 the race right from the start and went out to lay him up 

 the first heat, which I did, but it seemed to me, in this heat 

 that he could not go much, Kentucky Wilkes winning in 

 2:22. Then I determined to try to win the second one, but. 

 when I scored up with Wedgewood I found that he had no 

 speed, and I thereupon made up my mind to lay him up- 



