Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-10
BErTIAG ON TnE OLD GRAY.

Piled were happily parodied.
BETTING ON THE OLD GRAY.
Where POOI-seIIing Gave zaat TO a
bteoplechHse-The Judge Invests.
New York SUM-
$50 you are in favor of pool
selling on horse races ?" said a
hOrseman to Judge Portly, the other
evening. e
" Yes" replied the Judge. 81
think the life is taken out of a race
when the spectators are prevented
from investing money, in large or
small sums, on their favorites.
What would the Derby be without
the universal betting which prevails
in England? Take our Jerome
Park and Long Branch races for
instance. Last summer l visited
Jerome Park with my wife to see
the races. Pool tickets were not
allowed to be sold, the assemblage
was small, and there was not so
much excitement as | have seen
over Scrubrace on a country track.
Subsequently we attended the
Long Branch races. Pools were
sold there. Almost every person
felt jolly. Even young ladies bought
tickets on horses, and the groups in
which they were the central attrac-
tion in the grand stand were made
merry by their gleelul action when
they won, or their lugubrious faces
when their favorites were beaten.
| shall never forget the last invest
ment | made in those races.
"You know" continued the
Judge, :" never feel much interest
in horse unless | have something
staked on him. Ny wife was
brought up Presbyterian; still she
likes to have her fayorite horse win,
and seldom objects to a little in
yestment, We had vcntured on
several flyers recommended by an
old horseman, who said that they
were pretty sure to win; but, as
will sometimes happen, they lost.
The last race was a steeplechase Of
about two miles and a half. Six
horses ran. Five Of them were
sleek, young, blooded bays, and the
other an old gray nag that resem-
bled a cross between a carriage
horse and a livery hack. Only few
tickets were sold on the gray one
of them was inside Of my vest
pocket, | returned to my wife Just
as the horses started. Away
swooped the bays like a flock Of
pigeons before a hawk. The old
gray dropped behind as though he
had no business with flyers. At
the first jump he had lost so much
ground that on a straight track he
would have been distanced. what
horse are you betting on?" in
quired my wife. 'The old gray l
replied. Goodbye to that money,
judge said she. | thought so, too,
but quietly remarked that the race
was not finished. Yes, but see,
the bays are at the second Jump
and the gray is farther off than he
was at the first hurdle / saw the
bays springing over the bars like a
pack of fox hounds well together,
while the old gray gallored up and
plunged over like runaway cart
horse, nearly knocking the hurdle
down.
AS he landed on the turf, how
ever, he seemed to be infused with
new life. Stretching out his neck,
he struck a tremendous gait, clear
ing twenty feetat a bound. AS the
horses neared the third jump old
gray's nose was close to the tail of
the hindermost bay. He made the
jump in better style than before,
but still he lost ground in getting
to work again, but was quickly
after the bays with gaining strides
On reaching the water jump, his
head nearly came in contact with
the hoofs Of the bays, who bounded
over like gazelles. Old gray sue
ceeded in securing a footing after
his bound with a desperate strug-
gle. The bays skinned over the
sod in a bunch ahead of him, and
it looked as though he would be no.
where at the finish. My wife poked
me in the ribs, exolaimIng, Judge,
you are a nice man to pick out u
horse ! said nothing, but kept
my eyes fixed on the old horse.
After regaining his feet he shot out
like Q thunderbolt, and as the horses
burst into the homestretch heard