The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 1, August, 1851Various
History
The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 1, August, 1851
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
Trustee, who requires much warming up, goes all round the track,
increasing his speed as he goes, till he has reached pretty nearly his
limit. Pelham also completes the circuit, but more leisurely. The Lady
trots about a quarter of a mile, then walks a little, and then brushes
back. Her returning is even faster and prettier than her going. "2´
33´´," says Losing, speaking for the first time, as she crosses the
score (the line in front of the judge's stand). His eye is such that,
given the horse and the track, he can tell the pace at a glance within
half a second.
The gentry about are beginning to bet on their respective favorites,
and some upon time--trifling amounts generally--five, ten, or twenty
dollars; and there is much pulling out, and counting, and depositing
of greasy notes. Bang! goes the broken boot-jack again. This time it
is not "Bring _out_ your horses!" but "Bring _up_ your horses!"--a
requisition which the drivers comply with by turning _away_ from the
stand. This is to get a start, a _flying start_ being the rule, which
obviously favors the backers of time, and is, in some respects, fairer
to the horses, but is very apt to create confusion and delay,
especially when three or four horses are entered. So it happens in the
present instance: half way up the quarter, the horses turn, not all
together, but just as they happen to be; and off they go, some slower
and some faster, trying to fall into line as they approach the score.
"Come back!" It's no go, this time; Pelham has broken up, and is
spreading himself all over the track. Trustee, too, is a length or
more behind the gray mare, and evidently in no hurry. They all go
back, the mare last, as she was half-way down the other quarter before
the recall was understood.
"What a beauty she is!" says Harry. "And she has the pole too."
"Will you bet two to three on her against the field?" asks Edwards,
who knew very well that Trustee is the favorite. Benson declines.
"Then will you go on time? Will you bet on 7´ 42´´, or that they don't
beat 7´ 47´´" (three mile heats, you will recollect, reader). No,
Harry won't bet at all; so Edwards turns to Losing. "Will you bet
three to five in hundreds on the Lady?" Losing will. They neither
plank the money, nor book the bet, but the thing is understood.
Pelham's driver has begged the judges to give the word, even if he is
two lengths behind; he would rather do that than have his horse
worried by false starts. So this time, perhaps, they will get off. Not
yet! Bryan's mare breaks up just before they come to the score.
Harrison hints that he broke her on purpose, because Trustee was
likely to have about a neck advantage of him in the start. "Of course
they never go the first time," says Benson, "and very seldom the
second."
"I saw nine false starts once, at Harlaem," says Bleecker, "where
there were but three horses. Better luck next time."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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