The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-05
SPECIAL MATCH RACES
HAVE SLOWLY DIED OUT
Story Of the Famous Old Race Betweel Eclipse AM
Sir Henry Which Was Really Battf Between
North and South. After Historic Events

BY the making of a match race be-
Native, for $1,000 stakes, n few days
ago, turfmen were reminded that tho
good old plan of pitting horse against
horse on straight out wager between
owners has OF late years fallen into
decline on both the trottlng and tho
running tracks. In the early days e,s
racing in this country the great ma
jorlty OF all turf contests were matches
but since the spirit of commcrcialism
has come over the sport. the making
of match is of such rare occurrence
as to almost characterize II as an
event.
Racing for revenue does not tend TO
promote match making. Owners can
obtain better odds against their horses
by entering them in purses or stakes
Those who control the tracks ana de-
rive their profits directly or indirectly
from the betting frown on ordinary
matches, because q two-horsc race Is
usually poor mdlum ZOE specula-
ton.
For those who have horseman's
interest in the sports of the turf there
is no other race quite like match.
The element OF chance, which play s.
SO prominent part in cyntests where
large fields start, Is reduced to mini
mum. There is no opportunity Tor
helping and little for interfering. The
| race Is a fair, square. clean-cut test
| OF speed courage and stamina. IN
| which all eyes are focused on Two
| contending horses. and when 1t Is over
| the best horse has usually won, which
| is not always the case when man!
compete for purse or stake.
South Against North.
Some of the great match races thai
were trotted and run wnen the Turf "aS
| young Will probably live in horse history
long after ali the later day futurities ant
handicaps have been forgotten. Cnques'
| t!onably the most famous race in Ameri-
| can turf annals was the great sectiona
| match between Eclipse and Sir Henry
| now better known as American Eclipss
| and Henry, that was run at the unior
| Course. on Long Island. in 1923. Every
| circumstance which could contribute Il
| excite interest in II horse-race seemed
| present.
1t was the North against the South
| John C. Stevens, OF New York, having
| offered In a moment of enthusiasm at {
| jockey club dinner, in Washington. to rur
| Eclipse four mile heats against any horse
| the South could produce at the post 81,
| months later, and Colonel William X
Johnson, of Virginia, having accepted th'
| challenge. The stakes were $4,000
side. then and now the largest sum eve
posted by the parties to match race
| III this country.
The Napoleon of the Turf starter
from Virginia with five horses from which
| to pick the one he would run aGaiHs
Eclipse, and 1t was not until Sir Hcnr.
! appeared on the course with colors vi
| that the hacker of the Northern race
knew which one he would have to meet
There were no railroads In those days
yet sixty thousand persons journeyed I
the track, then eight miles from Ney
York, but now In tho city limits. TIL
whole country was stirred with excite
ment, and in many instances spectator
had travelled hundreds OF miles on horse
back or by the slow stage coaches of tina
period to witness the race. How Eclips