New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-03
FIRENZI BEATS THE BARD.
SIZE RUNS n GREAT RACE AT MONMOUTH
THE BEST RECORD AT MILE AND A HALF
E0UAILFD


fort OF those present The sensation Of the day. and
tho racing sensation Of tho year. was The Bard's
first defeat in 1888. He ran great racc, carrying
the full weight OF 100 pounds making the pace all the
way, and cquaing the record. 2 "a. At mile and
half. But we'll as he ran. Ffrcnn ran better. and
beat him easily. The Bard went out fom the fall
Of the aag showed the but the first half mile
was run In slow time SO seconds. The next quarter
occupied GO seconds This. is the uphill quarter at
by the club house In the latter half " this
Hayward began slightly urging The Bard. endeavor-
ing to draw away fpom Firena, who was lying be
Lind On the backstretch the pace became furious.
Hayward had the idea that he must get far away
possible from Fircnn in this part Of tho aud
seemed anxious also 10 show Tho Bards prowess and
make remarkable time. But fast as The Bard ran,
Frcnzi still chung to him. He was leading by moro
than length, however. at the end Of the first mile
which run In AZ 1-2, but did not draw away on
The lower turn as most of tho spectators expected
Coming into the homestretch stl in front, but
at the furlong post Firenzi closed with him, and al
though Hayward used the whip and rode The Bard
freely Fircnz passed him and won by length.
The opinion Of most of the turf experts was that
the defeat Of the great horse due to the fact that
his trainer held Fircnzi too cheap. The Bard had not
had race since the Fourth Of July. Frcnzi had been
running in after race, each Of which had I'M
proved her. and she yesterday in better condition
and filter for hard struggle than at previous
time In her She had had Just enough Of racing,
Bard had done little severe work In preparation for
this race. He was worked a mile and a half a few
days before in 80 not 81 at first reported His
only work of Importance except that was mile and
qusrter in ZIG, pulled up. This was by no means
sufficient preparation to meet Of the best FLIES
that the American turf has seen, when she was In
perfect trim for a great struggle. Mr. Higgins had
expected to work The Bard gradually up TO the point
Of his highest form for the Champion Stakes on Sat
urday August IL. lie supposed that his horse would
have difficulty in winning the Freehold even II not
fully it, In this he was much mistaken. And yet
the magnificent race that he ran, the time which he
made and ali the merits Of his performance show what
racchorse he is even when he is not at his highest
pitch Firenzi has improved enormously since the
Fourth of July, when The Bard beat Kingston and her
badly that she looked almost like selling platter.
But this was at milo and fIrlong. Eircnzl is an
undoubted slayer and IS much better at mile and
half than at shorter distance, and every one of her
had helped 10 develop her speed to take away
the last of supefuous weight and to make her
the superb racing machine which she yesterday.
The friends Of The Bard not yet satisfied that she
Is his superior. Let wait and what the two Will
10 when they meet 10 the Champion at the dis
lance and with the weights Saturday Of next
week. when II might be well for Hayward to try tho
same experiment with Tho Bard which proved sue
ccssful against TroubadCur last year. The Bard has
many races. IT is true, by going out and making
the pace. but TrOubadOur beat him twice last
year when The Bard pursued this plan. In the third
meeting al Monmouth Of these two. The Gard made
a waiting of 1t and beat Troubadour with the
utmost ease The old English rule should not DO
forgotten, that TO make the pace is equivalent 10
handicap of pounds. Horses that have
great advantage in the weight, especially those that
rarry feather weight of course ought to go out and
make the pace and try 70 make the speed tell on
the other horses IN the race. But The Gard has run
and splendid races at A mile and half
and at other distances by waiting behind his advcr-
salics and choosing his own time TO make his de-
Cisivc rush Fienzi chose hers yesterday. We
have no thought OF dcpccating Fircnzi Shc has
been praised again and again most heartily in this
column. She Is great flly, and ono of the fore
most racers today IN America. Bnt she mist prove
that she is better than The Bard b. moro than one
success II she can, and prove this when the great
horse has had sufficient racing to insure his highest
speed and staying power, and not after he has been
INDUCED with full month of tllcness. II must not
be forgotten how far Tho Gard beat her In the Ocean
Stakes a. Monmouth. how easily and how far he beat
ElkwoOd in the Concy Island Cup, and ElhWOol
finished in the suburban In front Of Firenzi although
Terra Gotta ought to have beaten both that day. But
race gocrs always in the mood for jumping at
conclusions hastily and many of them were cock
sure after Yesterdays triumph Of Firenzl that the
FLY was better than the champion Of Chcsterblook.
II will not be altogether pleasant news that Will
greet Mr. Cassat on his return from Europe, that his
great horse has been beaten, and that by nly, but
possibly their meeting next week may put different
lace on affairs The dirty little ours that have been
yelpng and snarllrg The Bard's heels will snap
eagerly this chance for attacking him, and LOT Of
silly stuff will be printed to the effect that he is not
great racchorsc after all But Of sense will not
heed these monsrcl bowls They Will remember that
a. three car-oh he beat every three ycaroh of any
speed In America and closed the year the undisputed
champion Of the horses Of that age. That as four
ycsrold he beaten by Troubadour only, who beat
him twice. while he beat TrOubadour twice. and beat
In In mas forV CITY
this year lie has shown form never surpassed the
American turf and has yet lost only after
having been laid the shelf for a month, and not
properly prepared for tremendous contest
Tiagcolctta showed stupcndous improvement over
her performances, and the first neatly
with Bcncdictine and strldeaway close up. Stride
away was the favorite. although lie has not
this year The strongest OF tips concerning him
In circulation.
The second race. handicap for two ycarolds, was
captured by Mr.. Wthcrs's gotcsquely named FLY,
Chemsc. IT has been reported from Paris, by those
learned in such matters the prevailing fashion
among certain circles of Parsennes has been for all
black underwear MI Wlthcrs is bachelor Of
naturcd years, and It not supposed that he had
paid special attention to the frvolies and folles Of
Paris but the name which he has given TO his FLY IN
dcaes that he has been careful reader Of the ladies'
fashion bulletins from the gay French capital when
any OF his friends joke with him abo, his odd fancy.
be calmly refers them TO the famous old motto Of the
English Order Of the Garter, HOnl Soft Out Nal
Pcnseo but he has yet announced his intention
OF founding a ncw Order OF the Chcmisc at Monmouth.
Garrison, who rode Croonsnan in the second race.
and was strong second. made a complaint Of foul
aga Littlefcd, who rode Chcmsc. But there
no Just for this, and the Judges set 1t aside.
In fact. If any claim for fOIng had been entertained
It would have been rather from LhtloGeld against
Garrison, for Garrison intcrfercd with the Nthcrs
FLY dur ne most Of the last fhlong.
Porter Ashe is Of the most amablc, agreeable
and warmhearted young turiIncn who ever came
from California anywhere else, but he cannot really
10 win II he had any wish Of that sort,
he would take pains 10 secure Jockeys who can ride
little. His colt Floodtldc had great chance IN
the second His work had been better than that
OF any other horse cnfcrcd. hnf Mr. Ashe. WITH the