The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-08-29
THE GREAT TURF EVENT
LongfeiIOw Beaten by Helmboid at
the Saratoga Races-Exciteneht
and Scenes on the Race Track. u -

CORRESPONDENCE OF the New York SUM-
| SARATOGA, August %, 1871.
This morning the sun shone brightly.
The hackers of Longfellow were filled
with joy. They run him up clear above
the thermometer. He even went up as
high as seven hundred to two hundred
dollars. Helmbold was hardly talked
of; apparently he had no friends; but
many old TURTLES sailed about the hotels
and the club houses quietly taking in
the big odds. AT the race course, at
one time, old John Harper, Longfellow s
owner, slouched through the multitude,
singing out in a cracked voice:
I've jist got forty dollars about my
clothes, and III bet forty TO fifteen that
Longfellow wins this race!
All these bets were quietly taken in
by New York city men.
John Morrissy walked over the
stretch, pointing his finger at different
men, saying: 1890,
I'm Offering $500 to $1,000 that Helm
bold wins"
He took dozen such bets within five
minutes.
Fifty dollar greenbacks were as thick
as leaves in ValambrOsa. There were
probably over 100000 inside OF a
quarter of an acre. The ladies were
apparently crazy. They wagered gloves,
rings, handkerchiefs, and money, utter,
ly regardless OF the result.
The sun shown beautifully. One
halt Of the track in front of the grand
stand was muddy. A harrow was
hitched to sulky, and driven over II
for an hour before the race.
The buge sounded, The quarter
stretch was cleared as if by magic. jim
Mcclellan, Hembolds jockey, sprang
upon his back with quiet confidence.
He wore a blue jacket, with scarlet
sleeves and cap. Joe Colston, Harper S
colored jockey, the best colored rider IN
the world, followed suit. He wore a
bright orange jacket and pants, and a
red cap. Helmbold carried one hun
bred and fourteen pounds, and Long
fellow but one hundred and eight
pounds. The former is one year older
than the latter.
HELMBoLD AND LoNGFELLow CON
TRAsTED.
The contrast between the two horses
was most marked Helmbold seemed
tough and knotty There was fire in
his eye, and quick, impatient paving
OF the feet. Longellow was a beauti,
full picture. His body was perfectly
formed. His long quarters were clean
cut, and his eyes were as mild as an
Eastern queen. He moved with the
utmost grace, free and easy, like the
lever of a Jurgensen watch. He look
ed as though he despised his antagonist.
1t seemed like a race between a rich
mans son, fed on charlotte russo, and a
poor boy who had been brought up on
gingerbread and molasses.
THE SCENE on THE STAND
lust before the race was picturesque,
Four or five thousand elegantly dressed
ladies' chartered like the plumaged
birds in South American forests. The
front OF the stand was iringed with
eagereved men. Commodore Wander
biit, accompanied 10y his wife and moth
er-in-law, lady apparently about forty
wears old, occupied a secluded nook on
the left OF the grand stand. He wore a
white neck-tie, and looked like
A MORTIFIED METHODIST MINISTER.
He looked more like pious Metho,
dist than Daniel Drew. He bet on
Longfellow, and looked very much like
a disguised Methodist minister at the
close o: the race. At 1890 precisely
the busle sounded for the last time;
Wheatlv shouldered his white flag and
walked fifty feetup the track, with a
red book under his arm. Helmbold
took a position on the inside, ten feet
in advance of the starter. Long'eIIow
went five feet below Wheatly. As he
turned about he gathered himself for a
spring. The flag fell, Wheatly shouted
a loud Go" and both horses jumped
together, Helmbold two lengths in al
vance.
4 DEATHLIEE STIFFNESS
hung over the grand stand The
Jockeys stood in the field like statue:
watching the horses with breathless
anxiety. Both jockeys held in Their
horses. Longfellow slowly closed the
zap and forged ahead. At the frs
quarter he was two full lengths in ad
vance. As they moved down the oppo
site stretch Helmbold increased his
gait, and nearly closed the gap. Long
fellow moved like thistledown in a fail
wind. A bottle would hardly have
fallen from his back, taking twenty
seven feet at every stride There was s
beautiful even play to his head and
neck, as though his joints were wei
oiled. His legs were as regular IN then
motion as the driving levers OF a loco
motive. His tail lay upon line will
his back. Helmbold
RAN LIKE AN EIGHTH WARD LoAFER.
lie was full of pluck, and dug along
the track as though he meant to win OF
die. Occasionly he would crook HIM
self as if putting on an extra pound o
steam, and squirt ahead like a well
ballasted yacht in gale. At the half
mile Longfellow only led by quarter
of a length. Around the lower turn
they came like well.matched swallows
Holding the same position, they en-
tered the home stretch and sailed dowr
the muddy patch fronting the granc
stand at an extra burst of speed. ThI'
was the stroke of policy on the part o
Mcclellan, HeImbolds rider: He wa
crowding Longfellow through the mus
to break him down. Past the gran'
s,srI they sped. amid five thouSan,