The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-05
Eclipse and

lost tho first heat With professional
jockey on his back, I'D how Sam Purdy,
I an amateur rider, N pulled tho great
! race out OF tho fire y his brilliant work
| in the saddle, is o OLD story to most
| turfmcn. V,
| At the Jockey Gu dinner which fol-
lowed the contest vIhn Randolph. OF
| Roanoke nettled the ,orthern sportsmen
| by saying: ut was nc Eclipse that beat
| Sir Henry, but the iibsters and cham
! payne that Colonel thhson indulged In
! last night" referr!n TO tho fact that
| thu owner of the L. ag horse was Ill
and unable to be prt ~ Wien tho race
| was run. Mr.. PurtA retorted by pro-
| posing tho toast, :E2r Use, too feet for
| the fast, too stout &c tho strong." The
upshot was q challel . issued tho very
next day to run Sir Efry against Eclipse
for $4,000 o side d tho washington
| City course, where fhe nine-year-old
| Northern horse wouiS Se compelled TO
| concede twenty-foury POUNDS 10 the
| Southern for-ycar-ol1 or SIX pounds
| more than at the pom course. The
! challenge was declinv on the ground
| that 'old age and hal service may one
day accomplish VIVA. frength and fleet
ness, directed by conInnate skiil have
| hitherto failed to ellcb ana ECLIPSE
| never raced again.
The Boston-FAhlon Race.
Second only TO this fmorabie struggle
between Eclipse and / Henry was the
sectional match OF lSif which Boston
| and Fashion ran four- heats over the
| Union for $4,000 stakn Inns race at
| tracted hundreds of 3emen from the
| remotest sections OF Union, and for
| months before 1t took ace was every
where the theme OF re1rk and specuia-
ton, not only in the rtins circles OF
this country. but in EN- ma 1t was es-
timated that 10000 pe1S saw Fashion,
the Northern champion run her great
rival to standstill IN e fastest race
then on record.
Colonel Johnson. thJoacker OF Sir
| Henry in 1923 was the tLKer OF Boston,
and despite the crushH defeat OF the
latter, he offered ut the \ckcy Ciub din-
ner on the night after q race TO matcn
, him again to run fourle meats win
Fashion for $4,000 sid The offer was
not accepted by Henry FToler ard VIII
liam Gibbons. of New rsey who had
backed the winning mar
trustee. out Of Bonne,si Blue. by Sir
Charles, grandam Realitlby Sir Archy:
1t was said after the 70 the Colone!
Johnson had sold the sk which broke
his own head" for aft having bred
Bonnets o. Blue from hipwn horse, Sir
Chnrles-ona OF the fvFacers trained
for the match with Ecse-he parted
With the mare to Mr.. obons. who In
turn mated her with Trtse and raised
one good enough TO bea he best horse
the, Virginia turfman had in his
stable.
Only once IN the hist of harness
racing has a match beer .hde for S40.-
600 stakes. and there iss!ne doubt in
the minds of many hos zen whether
on this occasion SO much =. money was
lost and won. Thomas oLawson and
E. E. Smathers posted y checks for
which Boralma. 2;07. aiEord Derby.
2:05 Ia, trotted at HartH on August
2. 1902. The race was SEQ. Boralma
having been in such poo;ondition that
after winning one heat 2:0S he was
beaten back in 2:09H and s IA. About
the only redeeming featp OF the con-
test was the fact that / Lawson did
not accuse Mr.. Smathersf doping the
beaten horse when Borar collapsed.