The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-24
MONARCHS OF THE TURF.
THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN LONGFEL
Low IND HARRY BASSETT.
The Greatest Race Of IN Century-A
Review OF It'll Merits.
fFrom the New York Herald

lcho" thO ESW NSt
The controversy between the respective
admirers of these distinguished race horses
exhibits prejudices and contemporaries
and does injustice to both. Their great
contest for the Saratoga Cup, unparalleled
in this country, should cover both with
unfadlng laurels.. 1t is entirely unnecessa.
~ to claim for either more than 9 plain
and unvarnlsnei description of the race
would show to be bis due They ran the best
race ever run In America, and were never
separated from the start to the finish. the IN
eldents of the race leave room to believe In
the possibility that both might have lone q
shade better, but 1t is scarcely probable.
In casting lots for the pole, Bassett: was
lucky. and started with its possession, while
his adversary took possession close by mis-
aide the two wonders plIssiDg the score as
evenly as possible. The pace was terrific
throughout the race, Bassett taking advantage
of about half q length IN the 1rst furlong,
which he never increased. LonglelloW ~ent
him. but failed 10 show in front, Bassett In
each instance promptly resnming his nail
length advantage, and L0ngfelloWss 1nal
effort. within two hundred feet Of the winning
most. needs no other description, as his game
was but momentary, Bassett winning by about
six feet. =, tho,
Bassatt pulled to Longfelow, as he evidently
hsd done to Littleton, and that he could have
RIM much faster had it been necessary. But
reason suggests that no sane rider would nave
had the courage unneces ,arily to risk 30 I'm.
portant a race to an advantage or only nall q
length with a horse Of LongfelloW's known
speed at bis saddle skirts. Had ne oeen aoie,
In the last furlong, 10 have Increased MS ad-
vantage. he would probably have done 80.
StiII. as before remarked, there is 8 poss1oliity
that he could have accomplished something
more. He did enough. -.
It ia lust as easy 10 soy that Longlellow was
running q waiting race q tnat u was 20,
tended that he should win by q "cnitney rush.
at the finish, which result was ohly oelealea
by the twisting Of his leg. Many so say, and
dnnhfIess 40 believe. hut the eteadiness OF
the pace (which was really the most remarka,
hIe feature of the race) from beginning TO emo
would seem to forbid all claims TO prooaoilty
Though "taik Is cheap" it is not worth
while to Indulge in speeulatlons IN regaso 10
this race. The exalted repu .ast nnon ., vi LaeSe
arv theories. The facts are enough to place
item both at the pinnacle Of fame.
The first two miles of the race we're run IN
| about three minutes ard thirty SECONDS, ana
The two and q quarter miles In three minutes
and Hlty.nine seconds-.wo and q nall seconas
faster than the race OF the famous hentucKy,
although he at the same age carrle1 aoat
nonnds less than Bassett carried. BassetC
won without having permitted himself to.oe
| headed In any part of the race, and remains
champion OF the American turf. Glory enough
But facts also stamp Longfellow as the equal
to Bassett. Tho big horse ran the entre race
| outside of Basset, never trailing LOT an laca;
further from the pole than BasseC did. In
| this position he ran around each OF t1e IVY
aemi.cIrcles twice. A simple matbematlca
calculation shows that he therefore ran thirty
seven and sixty.nine hundredtns Ieet turtneI
| than Bassett did, from which deoueG tae 10y =
| feet OF BassetL's advantage az the nnlsn, suuI
| annears that when the race was lOst oy Long.
failfow he had actually run about thlrty-tWe
| feet further In $3.50 than had MS victorious
competitor. Longfsllow's time-two ane . ! !
! onarter miles-must have Deen acouI o.oo4'
| Il we had drawn the pole, 1t ls at leasC ques q
| tionable whether Bassett could nave taheI -
from him, and, If possibilities are 70 pc COUSIN
cred. the result might have been different;
The facts are above all theories, and place
both horses beyond the reach OF detraeton'
| And now. having said thus much, It may DC
| pardonable to speculate q little IN regara v
fhe ysxed question as to where the injury &c
| Longfrllow occurred. ,..,o &,
It Ia very difficult TO believe that q morse 10,
,ured In n degree could lave run as olo
Lonpfellow. As before remarked, tne mos'
wonderful feature OF the race was lts cons.an.
CIV. Longfellow did not falter at any polnt ln
| the race: Tor, had he relaxed his speed IN tne
slIehtest degree, he would have lost MS prouo
position alongside his flying competitor: n
Ia absurd to claim that q horse Win 9 raining
| tendon. or even with 8 plate douolea uhasi
| his foot, could have maintained 30 steaally M
| nositIon beside Bassert, flying, at the rate OF
| Two miles In $3.50. Those who assert Ina
Lonefellow faltered do him the greatest lnlus'
| Ice. He bad no time to spare Tor lalterlng.
| The brightest truth which bis history contalns
| IL that he ran that wonderful race without
| eyer Tor an Instant giving up bis position, ano
| finished in a style which stamped MIN as un'
fInchlngly game. 80 .ou-o 80 h,o ,r,nrv Is
simply this: Tired, as he must nave oeen, ne
was pulled up too suddenly when the race va
over. and probably struck his tore ieg WIN as
| hind foot. at the same time catchlDg tne nee
| NJ his Mate and tearing 1t partly from nis loot,
the next step doubling the plate under inc ioos
as found, More than one person observer tWo
separate plumbers OF th3 horse as ne puIeo W.
| All the mischief vas probably done py .he
| same accident. It is the more proper thsC tnns
| theory should be. presented, because II wiz
add another to the thousands of former Warn.
inos to riders of the folly of suddenly puin9g