The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-09-28
IocAL MATTERS.

| The sreat match race at two mile heats over the
hsx mare Nina. and Capt. BeIchers bay horse Red
re came of Yesterday ate moon between The hours
oil and O'Clock. In the presence OF thousands OF
| siThe weather was all that the racers could have
asked for. and seemed especially prepared for the
snort At very early hour, thin hszy clouds hoated
bat BY the time that old Sol robed himself these va
.snt breelee added happiness to the smiles Of those
who were fastening about the Streets arranging for
| a janns to Fairfield 70 witness the contest.
| The track. usually very heavy in dry weather
| seemed uneomnonly SO at the time of which we
| write, the sand appearing to be fetloek deep; but
the fine condition Of the contestants gave the
positive that the would be .sc-ack-
| ing one" notwithstanding the encumhrsnce with
| which the horses would be surrounded.
AT no period within recollection have we seen
snch universal excitement pervading Virginia city,
ss that of yesterday. Commencing as small speck,
when the match was first made between Red Eyef'
aud Nina" the cloud of excitement seemed to gath
er until at length it burst firth with all the fury of
hurricane, nprootng tue community eitne most aus
stern till nothing but the race" could be heard not
| only in the bar-rooms and at every corner of the
streets but around the family hearth 60 where you
woud-speak to whom You might, and the first cues
ton asked would be, ARE you bound for the race 7"
Virginia be now torn from her by Southern horse ~
| and such like questions.
| Fascinating as we know borss-race to De, ard
strong as are the aurements of State pride in every
contest for the supremacy, frankly confess that
the excitement JUS. witnessed has far surpassed
1 u
horae-race upon our people. And this teeins was
alone confined to the sterner sex AS IN the great
contest between Virginia and kentucky, where hun
dre6s Of fairy hands waved their kerchefs when the
latter won the first heat and shed copioas showers of
tears when their beautiful Grey Esgle fell beneath
| the untirins game of the invncibe wagner" so
were The fair daughters city exhilarated by yes
terday's contest. Catching the TIRE that warmed and
their fathers husbands aud brothers. they
were filed with the energizing influence, and seemed
carried back, in feeling, twenty years, when the ra-
ces Of Virginia attended by her fair daughters
whose smiles AID presence always add largely 10 the
| happiness of those around them
Since Friday last strangers from North, South East
and West have been arriving. ana on MONDAY al the
in their thousands, until but little room renamed Tor
ore. Veterans OF the turf their heads frosted Ger
with many winters, had had the days OF their youth
recalled and could resist the tempting invitation
to see for the last time that sport which hiled up the
| measure of their pride. Young men after listening
to tales Lang Syne had caught the inspiration, and
and they too were among the my nads, who came 20
| witness the exhumaticn OF one OF the most exhlia-
rating as well sports of old Virginia, and
all enraptured with the scene presented to their
| view.
| Ry o'clock yesterday morning the Mechanicsville
turnpike and every other avenue leading to Fairfield
| Course, seemed living mass of beings all moving
onward for one grand destination Pedestrians, vehi-
cles of every character, horsemen-all mixed and
comIninsled together and each apparently hasteEed
onward if the whole constituted grand army,
led on to fearful and deadly charge Our streets be-
came nearly deserted and stranger visiting them for
the first time, might readily have taken alright from
appearances and fed the city as from pauge; Hav-
ing passed the moving panorama and arrived at the
| course, astonished to see the hundreds of
persons already gated notwithstanding there
were then three hours eapse before the horn would
sound On the track every tryo was expatiatng upon
the Evincible game and bottom OF Red Eye, or the
incompatible feetness of Nina The friends of both
horses seemed i'll at until nearly O'clock, hen
| the conte s:ants appeared upon the course.
| Red Eye, as he strobe along in front of the stand,
seemed TO tread more elastic, more lively, than we
had ever seen His coat exhibited indications of his
perfection in keep" and excellent condition, but it
seemed to our Impractical eye that he had been lit
ia o.ipelv he o
severely pushed and thus hazard his chances for sue
cess - 49, 49, .
that we should have asked her to be, had the match
| been ours Since spring. her form had expanded the
dead coat she then wore hod peen ooneo iof scher
ard more beautiful one and having added suthcen-
cy of esh she seemed TO us fcly up to the marx Her
trainer however, thought her 100 high, and before
| the race we have no doubt Mayor Bacon would have
| given $1,000 for two weeks time.
| AS the contestants were led to and fro bets were
offered on the at odds, and occasionally taken
such as SlC0to sac and 500 to S6o-that she would
| win the While the friends OF the horse fire.
quenty Come bask with an equai, bant mtg that ne
| Of dollars changed hands, for moneyed men had
come to see the and to speculate upon II.
AT the appointed hour, positions having been tossed
! for and Nina winning The inside track, the horn
| sounded and both horses coming up well together,
the wo1d was given, aud oil they dashed. On reach
ing tie first quarter pole Red Eye drew clear, took
the track and made steady run TO open gap, which
being perceived by his friends, they sent up terrific
shout that the old horse had her. and that he would
win the race, but suggestion TO back that opinion
was instantly seized upon, and the required amount
| staked. On, on go the two, Red Eye in the lead,
the mare following warm trail The qIarter-stretch
in the first mile is ct length reached and Lewis, the
rider of Nina, throws out feeer by short brush,
when finding that ne could pass his oppoaen at any
point, he once more takes his in hand. As the
two pass the Judges stand side by SIDE like Siamese
twins veil goes up from the friends OF the horse
the mare resumes her trail that she can't win. But
| the black imp who bestrides her has learned her
foot" and abiding his time. keeps up hard pull tl
reaching the half mile pole ia the last round when he
leans her, and she calamity responds passing Red
Eye as they reach the head of the quarter-srerch-
But here he makes a f1lr pas, as we think, and
| petitor would hold up, after being passed under
headway, he reins in the mare and the horse, con-
tinuing the brush under which he had been beaten,
comes alongside in gallant run, and is only beaten
for the heat by halfa neck, the time being S.54I.
seemed 70 revive the dropping spirits of Red Eyes
friends, who now rallied strongly, and were more
firm in the belief that their avorite would win than
before he race was begun Bets were therefore Of
/ fered even on the horse, not many of which went
untaken by the opposite side though Red Eye gained
greatly in public esteem by The lndonitable game he
| exhibited throughout the heat.
After the expiration of thirty minutes, both horses
| having cooled off fine, the horn agsip sounded, the
! riders mounted, and coming IN fairly, at the word
60 dashing of ar quarter speed Nina having the
| track which she maintained throughout the first
quarter when she again fell IN the rear, Sno cont
menced her waiting game, TO the no small desht OF
the friends of Red Eye, who perceiyins the pace at
which the two were going, fully beneyed that me
lick too and continuous for her, aud that
she had fallen CT from necessity. Not SO with the
| 'knowiug ones" who had started On her, for they
could fail perceive that she was moving set-
dy under strong pull, only waiting Tor tne call OF
herride.. 10 go home and take the purse Ihe quar-
ter stretch of the first mile is reached ana now the
mare takes up the ruuning-she laps hef conpettor,
| when her friends send up shout that shakes the
| ground. -
the mare falls in the rear but the pace is NOT sacEen
ed in the least for Anderson, the rider OF the horse
has drawn his hip, and freely al every sinew
is stretched to lis utterInos ana Sill MS oFesoeo
swings his skirts, well IN hano ready Tor
that aw fnl and telling brush The bali mule pole is
reached for the last time AID yet the morse ieaus
| three lengths. So qRiet, SO enchanted were the
spell-bound spectators, that whisper would nave
/ been heard in the long house. But now the maj
brush commences. Lewis the rider OF the mare, has
made his Lass call upon her, and speea Oh tne
antelope she challenges her competitor In the quar-
ter Stretch laps and passes him, when yen upon yen
fill the air, equal to the roar OF hed oi rIteIy-
No persuading coaxing, no d7Ving, Can increase
the speed of the OLD horse who IN MS
feeter competitor, and he comes home, beaten, IN
g. As. ..
To saw that this has been an exclans ore does
| not begin TO describe it. Itwas madenips from the
fact that every indication against he mare nav
ing been beaten by Red Eye, alter running ner
first heat in three minutes aud forfy-s' Sc ohcs
Its proper add, that Maj Bacon, hy nus cocTte-
ous de- me amor has for himself MOST ensiaoie
REPUTATION among the friends of the turf 10 this sec
fon. aud we feel assured that ii Old virginia TO
be be aten eur people would sooner fall by MS than