Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-11
Ten neutrality-suspicious. as 10 uts
Recon Breakdown.
O. T.o.. D.--Lts.-

Ten BrOech-SpeeaIatIona as TO ufa
Recent Breakdown.
st. Louis Republican,
The secret of the grand fasco at Lau.
isville on the Fourth of July is still the
subject of much curious speculation, aud
the %subJolne1 letter from an experienced
st. Louis trainer, who saw the race, is
therefore Of interest. The opinions ex.
pressed are by ! man whose judgment on
such a subject is exceptionally good.
He y
Since the race | have studied the
thing closely, and tried to solve the
mystery of Ten Broeck's poor perform
auce. Things which | saw with my W
eyes during the running have givea me
cause for much study. The mulatto boy
on Harpers horse twisted and worried
the great racer with the reins AVID bit as
if he was trying to throw him down, and
at the same time was driving him with
his heels at every stride. | have always
spoken OF that boy as a half idiot. not.
wlthstanding the opinion of others rela-
tive to his good riding. l have never
been able to see his performance in that
light. He generally rides as his trainer
tells him, but it left TO his own Judgment
| do not think he is worth q cent.
His conduct and the manner in which
he rode Ten Brock in the race was only
in accord with my previous opinion Of
him; but, after studying the case fairly.
| am induced TO believe that he used
his heels, for people to see him trying to
win, while at the same time when along
the back stretch close to where | took nv
stand, he used the reins to throw his
horse down, or to make him blunder, 10
that he could fall off and not be-
suspected OF doing SO intentionally.
Mollie Mccarthy reputation was much
greater than her real merit, for had she
been half such a racer as we ell were in.
duced to believe that she wss, Ten
Brock would have been distanced in.
stead OF the mare, and that such was the
purpose of the rider | have no doubt.
The best horse won the C There is
no doubt of that. No one can dispute
it, but the condition of the winner was
such after the race as to leave no doubt
In my mind that be had found a Judas in
a drug. Frank Harper, the owner of
Ten Brock, is believed by all who know
him to be rs honest as any man living
do not think he could be induced for a
mountain OF gold to practice a fraud on
anybody-at least he is as good a
man as lives, but his head is no better
than a pumpkin. He is an object of pity.
but not Of hate, and his penuriousness
, IS his W right and nobody's business.
He has unlimited faith in his stable gang
aud leaves everything to them, knowing
less of what they are doing than the man
in the moon. In fact, he has 80 little to
do with his horse that he ought not to be-
mentioned ia connection with the great
racer. The hot sun could not possibly
affect the horse in a way to cause such
a poor performance. Ten Brock can
run loose in a .cornfield for a month and
get fat like a hog, and in twenty.fou
hours time Of preparatiau run better
than he did in this race. | could not
possibly train him in a way that he
would not do a vast deal better than he
did on this occasion. The secret of his
poor run is locked in the bosom Of some
body, sure, probably never to be known
to any one else ave the Creator, who
knows all things"