Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-07-24
NO.aH5.
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#isfetlauspiis.
THE GREAT RACE BETWEHN RiSsRfT
AND LONGTELLSW.


The runners were Longfellow, Harry
Bassett. and Defender. Harry Bassett
was the first to show. and AZ he cantered
slowly by the stand the occupants greeted
him with a cheer. The horse was in
grand order, and not the most fastidious
connoisseur in horsedesh could find fault
with him. He moved along too, with
more iife and vim than he seemed 10 have
at Long Branch. Although Harry Bassett
was warmly greeted, It was nothing to
the reception that was accorded <LonRfel-
low. As he swept by the stand a ringing
cheer that might have been heard to the
Green Mountains. burst forth from the
male portion OF the visitors, while the
waving of handkerchiefs and fans by the
fair sex showed where the sympathies of
the majority lay. Defenders chance was
known to be-such poor one that no one
noticed him at all
At length the preliminaries We're ar
ranged, .andthc horses took their positions
at the head Of the stretch. They were
started at once and came flying down the
stretch. Harry Bassett was = length in
front of Longiellow as, they passed the
stand, both horses going well within them
selves, but the race was terrific, and De-
fender soon dropped AWAY to the rear.
Going round the turn Longfellow closed
up on Harry, and as they ran BY the quar-
ter pole his head was at his opponents
girfhs. Down the back stretch they few
in the same positions. Harry Bassett hay-
ing the inside track. and as neither horse
showed any signs of quitting, the excite
ment became fearful. Men shouted and
screamed with excess of delight, and
when the horses came up the stretch side
by side the stand was simply mass of
crazy people.
Some OF those who bad invested on
Longfellow grew white with anxiety, for
they never expected to see Harry Bassett
hold his own so long, while those who
were.supporting the latter WE'RE CORE
spondingly elated. At the stand Longfel-
low crept up to Bassett's shoulder, but after
going round the turn he suddenly faltered,
and in an instant Harry Bassett was a
length ahead. This made the friends OF
the latter delirious with joy. Longfellow
then made another grand squirt, and AS
they passed the half-mile pole he got his
head up to Bassett's neck, but though ap-
parently making gamy race, it was evi.
dent that Harry Basset had the best of it.
He gradually drew away again. and came
into the stretch nearly length in 'front.'
But Longfellow was not quite done with,
and. responding garnely to the call Of his
jockey, he made last grand effort to
catch his opponent. II was like the charge
of Napoleon's Old Guard at Waterloo-a
magnificent but futile attempt to change
the fortunes of the day-for Harry Bassett
swept along at undiminished speed and
won the best and fastest rae g ever won in
America by half length, in 1863. amid a
scene of excitement which your corres-
pondent is powerless TO describe
Those who had pinned their faith on
Longfelow could hardly believe their
eyes; but when their horse was pulled
up it was seen that he was dead lame. He
had twisted the shoe on his near foot du.
ing the race, and it was hanging to his
worst, for the shoe had struck against his
hind leg, cutting it badly; No more ex-
traordnary performance by a. race-horse
has ever been witnessed His jockey
states that he met with the accident lust
before reaching the quarter pole on the
last mile, so that he literally raced three
quarters of mile with one of the best
horses in the world on three legs. This
only wonder is that he was not beaten
much further. -S
This race is without parallel in the an
mails of the American turf, and there is
only one instance of any such thing hav-
ing occurred in England. This was in the
race for the Derby in 1861, when the ia
vorite, Dundee, broke down in one leg
half mile from the winning post, and in
another twenty yards further on, finishing
the race on two legs, and only being
beaten by a length in the fastest Derby on
record. But though there are many ex-
cuses to be made tor Longfellow it does
not dim one iota the luster of Harry Bas-
sets performance. Not only was the dis
tance run in 3 50, two seconds faster than
kentucky's time, which had long been
considered invincible, but the two miles
were run in $50. or four and quarter
seconds faster than had ever been made
before Those who were foremost to de-
cry the poor animal after his defeat at
Long Branch now profess to be his warm
est friends.
The old veteran McDaniels looked as
happy as a king at the success OF his horse,
but it was sckening to see thronging
round him after the race a crowd of
sycophants and tlatterers who never went
near him at Long Branch after Harry Bas-
sett was beaten. Poor old John Harper.
on the other hand, looked the picture OF
misery and when he was told that Long
fellow was injured. the old man actually
shed tears. 1t is extremely doubtful
whether Longfellow will ever run again
but at present it is not possible TO gauge
full the extent of his injuries. In any
ease he Gan be set down on the scroll OF
turf fame as being one of the gamest and
best horses that were ever stripped on
race track.