The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-15

The present system of light harness
racing originated in Matches the first
being friendly brushes on the road or
turnpikes followed by wagers on tracks
which were built for the contests.
No form OF racing IN the early days
created so much enthusiasm as a genu-
Inc match. as was shown by the race be-
tween American Eclipse and Henry.
which before 1t was contested became a
battle between the North and the South
When the trotters began performing IN
der saddle they adopted the same method
as the gallopers, and 1t was continued
after races to harness were introduced
In the days of Topgallant. Dutchman.
Ripton and Lady Suffolk II a match was
made 1t was for money and It was de-
posted before the horses took the word
or there was no race. These were the
kind OF events that enthuscd tho old time
followers of light harness racing on
Long Island. One Of the most spectacular
was the flash between Pocahontas and
Hero over the Union course in 1855 for
$4,000. when the pacing queen to wagon
distanced her rival in the first heat in
2l7h, and In so doing established a
worlds record that remained unbeaten
to any hitch until 1878.
Then Came HippOdromes.
When the horses however, began to
drift from the Eastern tracks there were
so few OF them in the first flight that
their managers planned series of hip
podromes.
The first set of these sham battles was
staged in 1859 with Flora Temple and
Princess as the stars. James d. Nc
Mann won all OF them with the little
bobtailed mare, while James L. Eoff. who
passed into turf history as "Dismal
Jimmy" managed the AFFAIR and divided
the receipts. He was a California prod
uct, or at least he first attracted atten-
ton in that State and was fortunate
enough to play a return engagement of
the same kind in 1865 with George NJ.
Patchen, Jr., when Budd Doble had
Dexter.
In that year they trotted twelve Of
those matches which was also the same
number credited TO Flora Temple and
Princess. OF course Dexter won all OF
them. while Dismal Jimmy" gathered
In his share OF the spoil with a horse
that scarcely had speed enough to see
which way Dexter went II his speed had
been turned on in any OF the events.
This gave Doble the cue In handling
Goldsmith Maid. and during the ten
years he had her before the public he
took her on several transforming err
petitions The first was pulled of in
1860. when she won six races from
American Girl. In 1871 and 1872 she
trotted series of twelve races with
Lucy. both of the mares being owned by
II. N. Smith. although the public was
not aware OF II. In 1874 the perennial
Goldsmith Maid came through again In
half dozen races with Judge Fuller
ton, while in 1877 she made a tour of
the California tracks with Rarus.
BY this time the public began to have
doubts in regard to the genuineness OF
trotting turf matches. and the series
which w. II. Crawford planned for Jay
Eye See and Phallas. with other horses,
when he was managing the Case stable
In the early eighties, did not improve
matters Still few of them were genu-
inc. although their value was nearly al
ways multiplied by two or four before
the public was invited to see the contest.
on this trip Jay Eye See defeated the
old champion st. Julien over Fleetwood