LIFE Yv-ITH THE TROTTERS. 201 



"Wanted to give tlie public some amusement; that they thought 

 I would surely win and the decision would only make one 

 more heat in the race. 



In the second heat Ford led from the start to finish, and 

 won by a length. In the next heat he led all the way, "and 

 when they turned into the stretch Hannis was on Ms wheel. 

 Fjom there to the distance stand they had a battle, both 

 horses being driven under the whip. At this point Hannis 

 commenced to gain upon Ford in spite of his efforts. Here 

 I saw something that the public did not. Hannis over- 

 reached with his hind foot and stepped on his quarter boot, 

 which caused him to break, and Ford beat him to the stand 

 in 2:16f , which was the best mile he ever trotted. I said to 

 some of my friends who were plunging on Ford after this 

 heat at the rate of $100 to $10 that they were doing a very 

 dangerous thing, as Ford had only beaten half a length in 

 2:16|, and Hannis had met with an accident in the heat. 

 Another thing I knew was that Turner' s horse was a tried 

 campaigner, had been in races where he had been out-trotted, 

 and Ms gameness had never been questioned. His breeding 

 and all that went to make him a dead game horse. While 

 Ford had a reputation with some people of being game, I 

 considered that he had never been tried in a manner to sat- 

 isfy me of his gameness, and while I do not want to slander 

 a good horse, I have always had my doubts about Ford being 

 dead game where he was in a race with a horse of equal 

 speed or a little better. Another reason I had for doubting 

 Ms ability to win was that he had never before been asked to 

 go a mile better than 2:20, and to be called on now to go four 

 or five heats better than 2:20 I thought a contract that he 

 would be unable to fulfill. When we scored up for the next 

 heat I found that my fears were only too well founded. 

 Ford lacked the dash and speed he had previously shown, 

 and I went out with my mind made up to keep Turner on 

 the outside as long as I could and make him go round me 

 and leave the battle to the last hundred yards unless Turner 

 forced the pace. Turner seemed determined to do this right 



