New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-19
etp 0rIeans epnblitatI.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL or THE UNITED STATES
sFFlCIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
r.onrfeLlor.,s 1FlnnIng &c.

Nhe pE9HIstIlllt5 tH4 WHbA LAe UtAl rang lOI
the horses to appear on the course, the inter
egt which for months has been steadily in
creasiug eliminated ID its highest point.
LOngfeIlow was the first to appear, and
when he came upon the course a mighty
cheer arose from his friends to greet the
coming victor. he was decidedly the more
popular horse Of the two, and carried the
feelings and sympathies alike Of the gem
eTal public and the ladies, with whom be
has ALWAYS been q great favorite since his
victory ID this same race last year. The
reason OF this Is plain. For the second
time in his life old John Harper had left
the blue grass meadows of his home in Ken
lucky with his idolized Longfellow, TO try
and redeem the laureis be had lost last
year, when Helmbold defeated him at Sar-
at0ga. When he came last season victory
beafned upon him at Monmouth Park, when
he cut down HelmbOld, Prealtnees and Re
cards with c0nsummate ease in the cup
race, and at Saratoga, when the mighty
Kingfsher went down before him IN the
cup race. But just at the moment when
his triumphs were brightest, and bus vet
nran owners pride in bis possession the
greatest, he was doomed TO defeat, and
that, too, by horse he had previously de-
feated in the holiowest style imaginabler
That the reverse was attributable to too
great. confidence and the inevitable result,
neglect Of condition, is now matter Of uni
versal acknowledgement. Old John Harper
returned TO Kentucky with dropping head
and detected heart, but still proudly conf
dent in the proves of his horse, and deter
mined To- try again the ensuing campaign.
In pursuance Of this resolve he came East
again. two months ago, the car that con-
yeyed his favOrite horse bearing the inscrip-
ton on it's sides " LongfellOw on his way
70 Long Branch 10 meet his friend Harry
RassettH II was this spirit of pluck and in
fFnfsf that TnaHn the nOnqTfaF
heart beat in his favor, and which prompted
the wild tumuituOus outburst of applause
when he made his appearance on the course.
He was the centre Of observation Of ten
jahougand eyes his colossal size and length,
and immense stride, attracting universal
attention. His aged owner stood by his
side and gazed proudly and fondly at his
beloved horse. and exclaimed with conf
dence TO those around him Now l have
got a good track, / will show you a good
race horse, such as you have never seen be-
FORE
His old colored jockey, Sample, was on
him, wearing the old yellow Jacket and red
cap so long associated with John Harper's
stable, and which Lyttleton has just borne
to victory in the previous race, bright
omen for the hackers of LOngfellow in the
one about to come off. The horse looked
an magnificent condition, his brown skin
shining like satin, his eyes clear and bright,
anu his uEh1. uEAu HNA HALu 10 lANus All
other burst Of applause, but weaker than
the pre- viOus one, announces the advent of
the great Eastern champion, Harry Bas
set, the golden chestnut of such long
line Of turf triumphs Ridden by little
Jimmy Roe, his old jockey, in the bright
blue silk jacket and crimson sash so IA
niliar TO all race gOers as the colOrs of
Colonel McDaniels, and with that veteran
himself In close attendance, he looked the
ideal of a race horse. The Colonel pro
nOunced him as fit as possible, but other
very good judges pronounced against him,
and hedged their money. The horse
seemed 10 lack his usual fire and yigor, and
while cantering near the club house, he
secured a good deal, sure sign that he
was not all right. The starting point was
from the half-mile pole, and thither, in OPP
pOsite directions, repaired the two giants Of
the turf TO commence that encounter which
viii live forever in the annals of American
racing. In the meantime, DR.. Underwood |
was busiiy selling pools on the event, which |
went as under:
Longfellow. 1000 $500 sllOO $1,000 1920 $1,000 |
Bassett...... 1900 1000 1925 2050 1900 400 |
At the starting post, Longfellow stood as
quiet as q bronze statue, while Harry Bas- /
sett was nervous and fidgety, utterly un-
like his usual calm behavior at the post. |
When the flag fell, and the moment of anx-
iOus anticipation IN months before had ar
rived, the pent-up feelings Of the vast thou |
sands of eager loOkers-On could not be re- /
strained any longer, and found vent in /
shouts of "They are off" Bias
sett was the first off, nearly two lengths /
before Longfellow, and it was evident that
be was going to make the pace a clinker, to
find out the brown horses weak spot, if !.
there was one. But LoDgfellOw's immense
stride soon placed him alongside his chest
nut rival, and they ran head and head to
Ia &, tvr 81 nd
quarter seconds. They entered the home
stretch locked together, Harry Bassett on
the inside (he had the pole at the stand),
with Longfellow almost pulling Sample out
Of the saddle.
They went under the string with heads
level, and cheer after cheer from excited
and applauding partisans, the half mile be-
ing run in 81 4 seconds. Bassett was 20 |
ing well, and LOngfellow's beautiful, sweep
ing, regular strides, covering nearly TWEEN
5y-seven feet of ground, delighted his fol-
lowers. At the clubhouse turn, Bassett was
D length in front, but LOngfellow, still I'M
der strong pull, and running easily within
himself got on parallel terms with him at
the quarter pole, and they were again
locked, the time to this point three quar-
tiers Of a mile), being ELSA. They ran
yoked along the back stretch to the half
mile pole, the starting point, finishing the
first mile of the race in l:44. All the way |
along the lower stretch the horses ran head
and head, neither seeming to have an inch
the best of il, but LOngtellOw's rider was
pulling him double. At the three quarter
pole, when a mile and a quarter had been
run, and the horses were stfll Tapped, the
time was 2;l0la, as given by the timers.
Up the hOmestretch the horses swept at a
terrific pace, but at the distance post the
trainer Of LongfellOw mOtiOned Sample to
let him 20, and relaxing his pull in some
degree, the gallant horse instantly re-
sponded by shooting past Bassett, and in
an instant he was a length IN front, as they
went under the string in 2:3734.
Such laundering shout went up from
the assembled thousands to be echoed back
from tue sides of Wolf Hill, when Long !
fellow showed in front, was never before
heard IN Monmouth county, and it seemed /
TO herald the defeat and downfall of Harry |
Bassett. His followers fondly hoped that
he would again pass his great stridinp rival |
and resume the lead but they looked in
vain for its accomplishments To their nor
r0r and dismay they see Roe rousing his
horse with both whip-eord and steel, but no
response follows the sharp appeal. Then
arose the cry, SO mOurnfully heard by thou- |
sands and so joyfUlly by others Harry
Bassett's beaten; LOngtellOw WINS And |
so il was, for the chestnut was hanging out |
signs of distress. and his stride taltering /
aud slow, while Longfellow sweeps on to |
victory with undiminished stroke, although |
under hard pull At the quarter pole he |
was leading half dozen lengths, in 3:07l4, |
and double that distance at the half mile |
pole, the starting point, in 1861 for the two |
miles. The race was over, for, although /
the whip was freely applied TO Bassett, /
there was no corresponding increase of /
speed, and Longfellow was taken in hand |