The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1857-05-02
From Portcrs Spirit Of the Times
THE SPRING CAMPAIGN IN ENG.
LAND AND AMERICA

i LIE great meetings which on either side of
thc Atlantic inauguratc tho contests of the
Turf for the racing year, have already been had
III England and America, and already have
the observant in such matters been able to
form an idea Of the degrees of glory with which
they are likely to go off. According to all
appearances, never was the racing prospect
more brilliant than it is with us, and we can
well afford to pause at this portion of the game
and compare exploits with England as fur as
we have gone
In England, they have thus far held the
Liverpool, Doncaster, Salisbury, and Warwick
spring meetings. In the United States. we
have had the Charleston. the Augusta the
Mobile, the Natchcz and Columbia races
Now, as We cannot place the horses who per.
formed in either country side, the most we can
do is to compare their exploits with one another
in the way Of time.
The best mile made this year upon an Eng
fish course, was made for the Chesterfield
Handicap Plate Mt the Doncaster spring meet
ing, as reported in orr last; and that mile was
made by Mysterious Jack, three year old,
ny Sir Tatton Sykes, in one minute anil foHy-
lonf SecondS, carrying II pounds. The next
best mile was made in the Trial Stakes, at the
same meeting by Old Trick, u three year old,
~ Slcigllt Of Hand, in one minute and fifty
seconds The best mile at the Warwick meet
Ing, as published by us to-day, was made by
the celebrated Fisherman, who beat Gemma
di Ecrgy and Melissa, il | :55 and the next
best was performed by Collingwood, who beat
Early Bird, Malacca, and Weathcrcock in 80
The best two mile heats Of this latter meet
ing were accomplished, as'will be seen by ref.
crencc to the table under our racing head. in
the slow time Of minutes and seconds. AT
the Salisbury races however Apathy, three
years old, by Anandale, made two mile heat
in $40, carrying 100 pounds.
As sct-on to this two mile heat Of Apathy
ir 2:lo, and the heat of Mysterious Jack in
l:ll, we have the splendid exploits of Charles
ton, Sue Washington, Dallas, Kate Hunter,
Don Juan, Marksman, Birdcatchcr, and others
on the various southern fields First among
these races may be named that of Charleston,
at Columbus, as reported in this days paper,
where he beat Don Jnan and Birdcatcher in
a race Of mile heats, III the extraordinary and
unprecedented time Of 40; l:iG; l:4SI, and
l:i7I, the second heat being dead heat be-
tween him and the Darkness colt, now called
Don Juan. 1t is true that neither Of the
above miles equal the single mile of Mysterious
Jack, for the Chesterfield Handicap, by two
seconds but then, it must be borne in mind.
that Mysterious jack was required TO 90 but
for a single mile dash, and was free to exhaust
all his power for that solitary feat. while
Charleston and his comrades were Obliged to
reserve their powers, to a certain extent, at
1irst, III order to be able to sustain the tax and
drag OF II long race. Either Of the heats of
Charleston are therefore superior to the single
heat Of Mysterious Jack, in the mere point Of
time; while the last may be said to exceed
Mysterious Jacks achievement of ALL
We have called this IN unprecedented race,
and so we believe it is. We know of no four
successive miles which have been nm, single
heats, in such low time; and the merit of them
will be speedily seen, when, by adding them
together, they will be found to make an exagge-
rate Of only Screa minutes 0nd eight Secouds for
the four miles, which is IL ! seconds less than
the wonderful time Of LcXigton in his great
exploit on the Matairie Course in. 1914.
We have also, in our American races, al
fourth heat, by Charleston lin :4G over the
Washington Course, Charleston. the first three
having been performed, respectively, in l:49a
~, l:50. Again, we have Charleston
beating Nicholas the |. and Ada Teyis, over
the same course, in two mile heats, in BABE
3:39l, and 3:4i. And again on the same
course, beating the Darkness colt, in 3:40J
3:i3. Finally, on the last day oft this meeting
we have Charleston beaten in 4 race, of four
mile heats, by Sue Washington, in the same
time of 1:39, 1910, 500, and s: l5l, the third
heat obliglng Charleston to withdraw, and the
fourth heat killing Frankfort.
Here, then, is some exploit and promise,
and when we come to compare it with the
record made in the Liverpool, Doacaster, Sails.
bury, and Warwick, and more particularly
with the respective detached exploits Of Apa.
thy and Mysterious Jack, we find ourselves
decidedly ahead in the season, by the only test
which can possibly be brought to bear upon
competitors at IL distance.
Encouraged by this record, we see no reason
to apprehcnd that we shall not be ube to con-
tend with credit against the racers OF England
through the noble champions of our turf who
are al.eady in the fields. On the contrary,
everything that we can find in the calculation
every thing that stands on the record in the
way OF past exploits, invites us to believe that
we have triumphs in store for us, that are more
tangible and profitable than mere comparison
OF time, Thus far we have made but two