The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-29
THE RACES.
LARGE ATrENDANCE.
Bismarck Wins the Dash and Bayonet
Takes the Great State Post Stakes.
A hard STRUGGLE AND A PRETTY RACE.

Our readers have been. from time to time,
posted as 10 the preparations which had been
made to insure the success of The fall meeting
of 1865, Of the Metarie Jockey Club. They
have been told the number, the names and pedi.
erees of the horses which have been brought
here to contend, the amount of prizes to be won,
the general attendance of turfmen from all parts
| Of the country. and they, therefore, know the
| high expectations which were raised as to the
enjoyment to be derived from the races. The
! meeting was announced to open with race such
as is not often chronicled. II was a post stake
race, 10 be subscribed to by gentlemen and
repre- sentatyes of various States, each State to
start one horse, $500 entrance; the club to add
$1,000. Besides this, Maj. W. d. Sanger and his
wife sometime ago presented to the club
splendid piece of plate valued at $1,000 to be
run for in post stake race, which was put up ss
an additional inducement for entries. OF this
plate more anon.
Three States responded to the invitation-Ala-
bama. Missouri and Louisiana. The purse was,
therefore, $500 and $1,000 piece of plate,
altogether something well worth running for.
Friday closed with couded skies aud every
prospect Of rain, and many were the prophecies
that there would be no race on account of the
weather. Yesterday dawned dark and lowering.
and it seemed as If the gloomy predictions of
Friday were to be realized. Bat about noon the
clouds cleared OF little. the sun put 10 an ap-
pearance-and very gladstone sight it wss-csr.
rsges became at once in demand, and the town
was agog preparing fer the pilgrimage to Metairie
Ridge. BY 2 O'Clock the various shell roads were
"A Ill .s-...
and all the usual variety of vehicles incident upon
such an occasion. Buggies spun merrily along,
passing more sober conveyances and hacks, their
occupants smoking, chatting, and probably bet
ting. Carriages freighted with loneliness rolled
rapidly on towards the lake, their occupants in.
tent upon the discussion of who would beat at the
races, and what woud be the most becoming
color Of which to get the gloves to be won. The
cars. of course, were jam full; and we are sure,
had 1t not been that the company have recently
repaired the supports of the railroad, caving 10,
similar to the one on all Saints Day, would Ger.
tainly have occurred.
But we are at the tIack-the famous Metairie
Race Course-where the fastest four mile time
ever known in the world was made by Lexington
the immortal; where the best hurdle race ever
run in this country was run last year, aud where
80 many races, now famous, have been made. The
stand itself appeared fresh and bright as ever
1t did. 1t looked perfectly natural, and even the
horribly muddy road which leads from the Half
Way House to the club entrance, was as sticky
and wet as ever it was in former days.
The attendance was excellent. The capacious
public stand was almost entirely filed, aud those
who know how large the stand ia will understand
what that means. The club stand was, OF course. |
as full as it could hold, and filed with gentlemen
who earnest promoters of whatever is healthful |
and msnly in amusement, demonstrate by every |
encouragement which they can give their desire |
to foster 10 our midst q sport exhilarating and |
truly noble, and to that end give freely their
money and their time, and in the giving are pro.
moters of the public veal as well as caterers to
their own enjoyment. Puritanism may grimly
smile at the idea of calling engaged in the
unholy amusement OF horse-rscing public bene-
factors, but We think that the verdict of the
thoughtful men of the world will be that were
such tria's Of feetness and endurance more fire.
luent-were men to find their enjoymen,s in the
open air, and their pleasures in the discussion of
pedigrees and blood, of muscle and wind-society
would be the better. Horseracing in itself is
noble. Its concomitants may degrade it, but it
. 1
Among the distinguished turfmen present we
loticed particularly Col. J. J. 0'Fallon and Col.
3asil Duke, of st. Louis; Mr.. John Kilgour, of
Mr.. W. Cottrill. of Mobile; Mr.. Geo.
Ward and DR.. Buckner, of Kentucky; Mr.. Joha
,offey, Mr.. Babcock and Mr.. d. d. Withers, of
yew York; Mr.. r. B. Cheatham, Of Nashville;
tr, J B. Lyon, Of Chicago; Mr.. W. NJ. Cjnner,
be accomplished and gehtlemanly correspondent
4 the Spirit Of the Times; exGov. P. o. Hebert,
len. Westmore, Col. McCloskey Major James,
lr. II. B. Foley and Col. Biogamsn. These and
theirs making such an array as is seldom seen on
ne track.
But come we now to the ladies stand. Our re-
oIter confesses to having left the description of
bis to the last because knowing his pen inadequate
0 fairly discharge the task, he first told of what
e could talk Of hoping in it to make amends for
be shortcomings here. The stand was very full. |
nd considering the bleskness of the day and the |
ecessity for warm coverings, this was a high |
compliment from the ladies to the Jockey Club
Il course there were dresses of all sorts, and of |
Il fashions. The Grecian bend and other curvatures
light have been there, but our reporter beheld
lem not. The stand was beautiful sight. The
ari-colored dresses and psrasos made a pretty
ossic work, and every change of the observer
lifted its pattern like the figures in a kaleid
scope. The fair ones amused themselves by pick
g out the prettiest horses and betting sugar pums
I'd gloves on them. by pretending to talk "horse
ik to their admrers-and there were plenty of
by flirting between times with an TO-
1stry and energy that were truly remarkable,
'nsidering the adverse circumstances as
I'D weather and so many people near under
hich it had to be done.
The track was extremely heavy. The rains of
e past week had wet il so thoroughly that the
eble attempts at sunshine of Friday and yester. I
~ had done but little toward drying it. Poor c
me was, of course, anticipated, but neyerthe.
IS good sport was looked for. r
THE DASH.
"hH-a we're two races to come OIL The frat |
ss cash OF nile and nair, Tor sxvs, oa- y
ance $50. play or pay, club to sdd $3.50, 100 I
'ands TO be carried. For this there were three a
tries. Col. Nellicanfs Pisn,orct n uar,u a