30 



afterward became a well-known owner and trainer, bestrode 

 Ten Broeck. In fact, the negro jockey always rode Ten 

 Broeck and made all his records, for Harper set great store 

 by his sable-hued rider. 



At the end of each mile Aristides led, and finally he came 

 on and won handily. And in the mighty shout that followed 

 his victory over the supposedly invincible Ten Broeck there 

 was no voice that was half so loud as that of McGrath. Had 

 he had to pay out the money that was wagered against his 

 horse's chances he would have been poverty stricken and 

 would never have been able to get on his feet again. But 

 that night there was many a sparkling bottle of champagne 

 opened and there was much merrymaking in consequence of 

 the victory of Aristides. 



The race between Gray Medoc, Altorf and Denizen was 

 a thrilling contest. It took place on the Louisiana course, 

 April 4, 1841, and thousands of people from all parts of the 

 country were present and saw it. Enthusiasm was at its 

 highest pitch, for all the contenders had hosts of admirers. 

 The conditions were for four-mile heats for a Jockey Club 

 Purse of $1,000, and it had been advertised from one end of 

 the country to the other. 



The entries were Mr. John Campbell's Altorf (he owned 

 the celebrated Wagner and Glovina), trained by Watson and 

 Vanleer ; Mr. Boardman's Denizen, temporarily in the stable 

 of Camp & Blevins, and Messrs. Kenner's Grey Medoc, 

 trained by Washington Graves. Grey Medoc was well 

 known as one of the fastest horses on the turf, and was in 

 condition to run for a man's life. He was backed freely at 

 3 and 4 to I against the field. Altorf, a capital performer in 

 Virginia, where $10,000 was paid for him, had lost ground 

 since his arrival in the South from having run several races 

 while out of order. He had lately arrived, too, from Mobile, 

 and suffered much from a stormy passage across the lake, as 

 also had Denizen. 



Grey Medoc's trainer had frequently assured me that 

 he was as game as any horse he ever trained, not excepting 

 the fleet Luda. Just think of his running a heat in 7:35 and 

 his eighth mile in 1:48, and a third heat of four miles in 7:42. 

 Had the reader seen him come along up the quarter stretch 

 at the close of his sixteenth mile so gallantly and so beauti- 



