Year: 1879

NasnNllle american, lith.I


Never probably in the history of the
Nashville blood horse association were
the prospects for a spring meeting
more auspicious than they are at
present. This can only be qualified
by the stringency of the times and the
disposition to economic where lux
ury, be it in the nature of sport or in
any other direction, is taken into ac-
count. But as far as the number of
horses is concerned, the excellence of
the animals-Or at least a consider
able number Of them-the large num-
Der of stake entries, and the certainty
Of exceptionally sharp and spirited
contests, the spring meeting Of 1879
will bear the palm. And as for the
" hard times" it is not so certain,
after all, that they will have any
marked effect on the attendance. 1t
is only little while ago that the larg-
est crowds ever seen at a show in
Nashville Aocked to Forepaugh S
circus, and the same class of people
(and indeed that may be embraced
under the head of all classes) attend
a circus and race meeting. So that,
take it altogether, we may confidently
expect a peculiarly brilliant and sue
cessful meeting the week after next.


Through the courtesy of Mr.. Geo.
Darden, the efficient and untiring sec
retary of the Blood Horse Association
we were shrown through the stables a
day or two since, and as we have had
occasion of pleasant mornings to
watch the flyers taking their work,
some points bearing on the number OF
horses in training, and Others yet to
come, a few remarks about the
cracks" the probable stake winners,
and other matters bearing on the gen
eral subject, will not be without in
terest at the present time. The pres
ent Introductory article will be sue
ceeded by three or four more, dished
up at intervals, and if, after that, a
man cannot pick every winner in the
stakes, why he might as well make up
his mind never to invest in a French
pool ticket.


Well, first of all, there are now
eighty-three horses at the track
nearly all of them in active training
and, take them as a lot, they comprise
as fine an array of thorOughbreds
(most of them youngsters) as were
ever found together on the famous old
Nashville course. Added to these, are
from fifteen to twenty which will
come from the South after the New
Orleans races, and probably six OF
seven from Kentucky, which are ex-
pected soon, and the grand total will
foot up over a hundred. Among such
lot Of horses there are, as might be
supposed, a number that the knowing
ones, and indeed everybody else, set
down as cracks, and of these we
will have few words to say now.
The two-year olds and three-year olds
at the course are unusually numerous,
and there are certainly some very
promising Youngsters among them.
The Mrs. Grundy of the turf-and
she is very observing old lady-has
singled out Eve or six three-year
olds that will make their mark in
very emphatic way. These are
Lord Murphy, Leon, John Carter
Baatitude, Mary Walton, and, NAV
be one or two others; and their classi-
tication IN the way of excellence (ac-
eording to the same Mrs. Grundy)
might be given In the order named
There are others, however, in what is
known as the dark division, that may
upset the calculations of the knowing
ones; but, if we were to hazard an
opinion, we should say that the three
year old stake winner at Nashville
this spring will be found among the
horses named above. Tho two year
old stakes are dashes of half a mile
and as they start in such short dis
tanca may have a good deal TO do with
determining the result, ii is altogether
hazardous to name a probable winner,
especially where there are several con.
sidered very good ones. Those set
down as the best arc John Happy
Bye-apd- Bye, Fipsy, Boulevard, Blon.
dina aRd Jim Scott. Quradvice about
a two year old race is, don't bet on it
but if you ,oiH stake something, ther
don't select the favoritc. This is the
ruls, but there are exceptions.


The number of horses over two and
three-yoar-olds viii not be very large
but still they will be sufficiently mum
erous TO make excellent purse racing
especially as three -year-Olds will b,
] entered largely in these events and