The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-12

The tiOo0v~scd Races and the Late Per.
rormance the Eclipse Courss-Sports OF
the Turf I'm England ard America.
Two interesting events have just occurred,
almost simultaneously, that are calculated to
s>r up considerable excitement in sporting cir
Giles and to give great impetus and fcla to
movements on the turf We allude, of course,
to the Goo6wood races of England and to the
trotting match of Tuesday last on the Eclipse
Course, Long Island. Our national vanity is
somewhat tickled at Learning that the American
horse Starke won the GOcdwood stakes against
| field of seventeen competitors and that for the
great Goodwood Cup, another American horse,
Prioress, came in third. But sporting men in
this locality are still more interested in the re-
suits of the last Eclipse trotting match between
the two celebrated horses Flora Temple and
Princess where the former trctted one Of three
mile-heats in the unprecedentedly quick time Of
two minutes and twenty-five seconds, and each
of the other two in second and half more.
These two events have caused quite sensation
in sporting circles and the match that is to come
off next Tuesday, on tie Eclipse Course, between
the same two horses-two mile heats, the best
of three-win help to increase that sensation.
The success of American horses on ths English
turf is not to be wondered at If we attach credit
to the boasts of our Virginia and Kentucky
horse breeders, wlys challenge competition from
all the rest of the world. We have heard Of an
offer to run American horses against English, in
four mile heats, for stakes to the amount
Of 100000. This challenge was made Some
time ago and has not been accepted.
True, for short run of . mile, o. two miles,
English may still outstrip American horses, for
the effort among breeders Il England las been to
attain speed at the expense Of bottoms whereas
our Virginia and Kentucky horses unite both
qualities. But, as the true tees Of yachting is in
an ocean stretch, 80 that of hc-ses is in 3 long
course where theirpowers both cfspeed andendu-
rance must be proved. American breeders claim
that they are ahead of their English cousins ia
combining speed with endurance, and offer to put
their claims to the test, in races of four-nile
heats; but up to the present time, she offer has
not been taken.
1t has been enormously supposed tkat the per-
formances of Mr.. Ten Broeck's horses on the
English turf for the last two three years ought
TO set at rest our pretensiOns to superiority in
racing horses. By no means-and for these two
very valid reasons. The horses which taat gen.
tleman introduced into Eogland were not consid-
cred first cla-s horses here. They were reckoned
second or third class. And, besides, Mr.. Ten
Brock went not into the thing-as Commodore
Stevens did with his yacht Amortization the sake
of winning national triumph, but for that other
purpose, which is much more in vogue with gen.
NJ Iurf IF v,nt IN hio
The means of succeeding in this latter specula-
ton are go mysteriously Indirect on the turf
as to battle all attempts to reason ON
the philosophy Of this or that move. The
moves on the race courses are as combined
and intricate as are the moves on q chess board.
If the player can succeed in checkmating his
opponent by skilfully sacrificing bishop here
and a knight there, these losses are by him
counted gains. And go it is exactly with sport
ing men, who can afford 10 let horse be beaten
here, and another there if they can thus succeed
in making up good book where they find it
convenient to 60 in and win.
1t is said that there are dozens of horses in
this country that can beat any in England for a
tour mile stretch. Among them are Planet,
Nicholas I, Tar River, Fanny Washington, Ru-
pee, Eliza Logan, Minnehaha and Calvert. These
are all racers. In regard to trotting horses we
are far ahead of all other countries; for while in
England the taste has been, and is, for saddle
hsIses, cur taste has inclined to the encourage
ment and Development Of the more useful quail
ty Of speed and endurance in harness.
This is particularly the case in the Northern
States; anu it is curious to observe the ratio in
which the speed of trotting horses has been in
creased by judicious breeding and training.
Forty years ago, On the Newmarket course,
Long Island, the speed Of nile in three
minutes was attained for the first time. Twenty
years ago mile was done for the first time in
two minutes and thirty seconds Last Tuesday
Flora Temple, in her race with Princess, per-
formed mile in two minutes and twenty
two seconds and her driver confidently
asserted that if che had been pushed she
would have done it in two minutes and
twenty seconds. The quickest time on record
before this last feat was two minutes and twenty
four ard half seconds, aud this had been made
by Flora Temple, Lantern and Ethan Allen. So
that in forty years we have gained forty seconds
in speed, Or at the rate of a second year.
We see that the taste for trotting matches is
coming into existence in England. The first
contest of the kind there is advertised to come
off on the Liverpool course. 1t may be taken
| for granted that some of Mr.. Ten Broeck's
horses will be entered for it; and we understand
that Mr.. Bevips has cent over, for the same ocoa-
| siop bis tIotting horse Mountain Boy, with Sam
Mclaughlin as driver This will be au intro
duction of our system of horse racing; but we
do not expect to sec it grew much in favor there,
for the English, as people, are much more par
tsl to exercise ia the saddle than Americans
Archie taste in both cases having its origin in