The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-16
Grandson of Sir Archy Was to
His Section What Boston
Was to the South.
RAN HIS FIRST RACE
WHEN FIVE YEARS OLD
His Great Win Was Against
Henry, When More Than
100000 Changed Hands,
the Southerners Back
ing Their Favorite
to the End.
ny THOMAS NELSON GARTER.

8
AS Boston was the great Southern
horse so Eclipse, who preceded him.
! was the great Northern horse. rms
celebrated horse, the Descendant
| for whom he was named. Is, of course,
| Interesting to Virginians on account
of his wonderful performances, and
the descendants he has left in our
| midst, but he Is chiefly interesting to
| us as the horse who ran against Hen
I the lime being the question OF the
superiority, of the horses -. OF the Two
Thise race grew out Of an offer
made by Colonel William r. Johnson.
of Petersburg. Va. to produce horse.
on the last Tuesday in May, 1923; to
run the four-mile heats against Eclipse
over the Union course on Long Island.
| agreeable to the rules of that course.
was Immediately accepted by Mr.. John
| C. Stephens, representing the owner of
| Eclipse, Mr.. Van Raust. The race was
| prepared for In the most elaborate
terest throughout the whole country.
1t was really the first OF a succession
| OF contests between these two rival
| sections. which lasted for years. in
deed until the Legislative Of the North
! began to frown on racing llS42 TO
] 1850, and to pass laws putting down
and prescribing race-courses to such
an extent that "all the most liberal
drew from it their support closed their
! stables. disposed of their studs and
ceased, vastly to the loss of the agri-
| cultural community and of the conn-
| try at large. to breed. to keep or to
import blood stock, while trotting
courses at which, on the most mod
crate computation, the opportunities
for fraud are ten times greater and
| fraud Is fifty times more generally
| practiced than on any race course. OBJ
tanned fixed position and stand
| These contests. however, continued in
the South until the Civil War put an
end to them.
SON representing the South pre- prep ,.as,
years old; third. Betsy Richards. five
years old and Flying ChiIders five,
al BY Sir Ar son 81 an Sir As bmt IN
travelling to the Union csnrse, Long
Island, he stopped at Mr.. Bella Bad
gers, about ninety miles from the
course, and tried the horses out: John
Richards, in this trial, cut his frog SO
badly that he had to be thrown out OF
training, and left with Washington,
also gone amSs at Mp b 81 1esinr thee
best horse followed them to the track
where Mr.. Johnson. then skilled lead
err, became so suddenly and violently
he was unable to leave on the day or
the race. 1t was not decided until
the last moment whether to start HEN
ry or the mare. Henry was a small.
teen hands high. but fun OF power
and endurance and considered better
than Betty. who; however, was ya,.a,a year az
carry the banner of the South.
] In the meanwhile, Mr.. Van Raust.
the owner of Eclipse. chestnut, 10 81
parts behind the saddle, but heavy.
much too heavy, in front, had brought
his nine-year-old horse to the post
| fit to run for a mans life.
The betting was tremendous; some
m neat'V between the Northerners and
Southerners who bet only on their re-
spective horses, whatever they thought,
| was intense. The crowd collected from
all parts of the United States, and
numbering. 1t is said. $4,000, was Key,
ed to the highest pitch. when at y
o'clock Henry made his appearance on on
the course as the champion of the
South, and was soon confronted by
his antagonist.
kneed Virsinian, If any there We're.
must have felt when they saw their
four-year-old pony come out to- do
battle with the champion Eclipse. then
1.-THE winner of eight races straight, and
standing nearly sixteen hands hlsh
and big in proportion. However. they
had the story of David and Goliath TO
a Virginia boy John Walden; Eclipse
lby William Crafts. Eclipse drew the
poe. The horses broke away some
wire Tapped and at q rafting clip.
Henry was immediately sent out to
take the track" which being the
quicker, he did in gallant style When
his boy took q hard pull on him around
| the turn they swept, the big horse
pushing Henry, who ran under pull &
lengths Sls the lead; This he held; run.
/ ming steadily with q hard pull for Il
three miles and three-quarterss of tho
fourth; the pace al AL the whole being
more than twenty rods upon the last
''made play''--the spur and whip Were
mendous burst. Eclipse closed half his
distance. but It was too late; the +
champion was done for in that lleat,
brought N him he Some o winner n41 ~ length
in the then record time OF 7:37 l-s
The horses cooled ont Well and inn
thirty minutes were az the post for
Purdy. the great trainer and jocky. up
Henry led off and kept lead OF about
twenty feet until about the conclusion
his run, and closed the daylight be-
tween them; then gradually pulled up
to o. head ad and grth; then % a dead lap
the back stretch. Eclipse, for the first
time, was f;,irly clear and ahead From
there on under whip and spur. freely
bestowed, he kept up his run and
gradually though slowly. pulled away.
winning by about two lengths IN
T:4S.
The third heat was won by Eclipse
under whip and SPUR necessarily APP
piled. Henry trailed under pull un-
til sixty rods from home. when he
made his run, pulling up TO Eclipse'sSs
quarter in about 200 yards ana then
faded out to nothing This heat was
run In S:24. AZ