IMERICAN ECLIPSE was bred by Gen. 

 Nathaniel Coles, of Dosoris, L. I., on May 25, 

 1814. His sire was Duroc, and his dam Mil- 

 ler's Damsel, by imp. Messenger. The colt 

 was weaned on November 10, and not broken 

 until September, at three years old. The following March 

 he was trained and given a trial of two miles, which afforded 

 high satisfaction to his owner. When only a suckling of 

 five months old, General Coles had named him "American 

 Eclipse," on account of the high promise he gave of stride, 

 strength and speed. While a colt he was not confined, but 

 in the winter season he was turned out every fine day ; he 

 was first shod in the spring, when three years old. His first 

 race was in May, 1818, when he started for the purse 

 for three-mile heats at Newmarket, L. I., and won it with 

 ease, beating Black-eyed Susan and Sea Gull, then called 

 the best three-mile horse of the day. The following 

 spring American Eclipse was sold to Mr. Van Ranst, 

 who, in June, 1819, started him in the four-mile heat 

 purse at Bath, beating Little John, by Virginia Potomac; 

 Bond's Eclipse, by First Consul ; and James Fitz James, 

 by Sir Archy. The following October he again ran and 

 won the four- mile heats purse at Bath, beating Little John, 

 Fearnaught, and Mr. Bond's colt, the two latter being with- 

 drawn the second heat ; time, 8:13 8:08. He then made 

 two seasons at the stud on Long Island, in the spring of 

 1820 and 1821, covering, as a common stallion, at $12.50 

 the season. It was not contemplated to bring him on the 

 turf again, but the Legislature of the State of New York 

 having remodelled the law respecting racing, and a society 

 being reorganized specially for the improvement of our 

 breed of horses, Mr. Van Ranst was induced again to put 

 Eclipse in training for the four-mile heat race, to be run 

 over the New Union Course, L. I., in October of that year. 

 For this race four horses started, viz., American Eclipse; 

 Lady Lightfoot, by Sir Archy ; Flag of Truce, by Sir Solo- 

 mon ; and Heart of Oak. The betting was two to one on 

 Lady Lightfoot, but Eclipse beat her handily in two straight 

 heats, distancing her in the second heat; Flag of Truce and 

 Heart of Oak being drawn after the first heat ; time, 8:04 

 8:02. In May, 1822, Eclipse won the purse of $700, 

 four-mile heats, on the Union Course, beating Sir Walter, 

 by Hickory ; time, 7:54 8:00. The following October he 

 again won the $1000 purse over the same course, beating, 

 a second time, Sir Walter, Duchess of Marlborough, by Sir 

 Archy, and Slow and Easy, by Duroc ; the first heat being 

 run in 7:58, after which the mares were withdrawn, and 

 Sir Walter being distanced in the second heat, which was 

 not timed. A day or two previous to this race, a challenge 

 had appeared in the New York papers from Mr. James J. 

 Harrison, of Virginia, offering to run Sir Charles against 

 American Eclipse over the Washington Course, four-mile 

 heats, for $5000 or $10,000. Mr. Van Ranst promptly 

 accepted this challenge, and chose the larger stake, so 

 that the object of the contest might correspond with 

 the fame of the horses. The time of running was 

 fixed for November 20, 1822, and at the appointed hour 

 both horses were brought out, and the riders mounted, 

 but instead of running agreeably to the challenge, Mr. 

 Harrison gave notice that, as his horse, Sir Charles, had 

 met with an accident, he would pay forfeit. He at the 



same time proposed to run a single dash of four miles, for 

 $1500 a side, which the owner of Eclipse at once agreed 

 . to. The horses started, Eclipse, who carried 126 Ibs. 

 against Sir Charles's 120 Ibs., taking the lead. On the 

 fourth mile Sir Charles broke down, and Eclipse won in 

 8:04. In the evening of the same day, William R. John- 

 son, Esq., of Petersburgh, Va., the recognized "Napoleon 

 of the Turf," offered to produce a horse, on the last Tues- 

 day in May, 1823, to run a race of four-mile heats against 

 Eclipse, over the Union Course, L. I., according to the 

 rules of that track, for $20,000 a side, $3000 forfeit. 

 The challenge was immediately accepted by Mr. John C. 

 Stephens, in consequence of which Colonel Johnson, on the 

 day mentioned, brought on the course the four-year old 

 chestnut colt Henry, by Sir Archy, dam by Diomed, bred 

 by Mr. Lemuel Long, Halifax, N. C., who, two weeks pre- 

 vious, had beaten Betsy Richards, in the four-mile-heats 

 race, at Petersburgh, in 7:54 7:58. Colonel Johnson, 

 when he made the match, intended to run the bay colt 

 John Richards, by Sir Archy, but becoming lame, 

 while en route for the North, Henry was substituted 

 for him, although in a private trial John Richards 

 had proved his superior. The race is one of the most 

 memorable events in the annals of the American turf, and 

 was productive of the most intense and wide excitement 

 throughout the length and breadth of the continent. It 

 was considered as a match between the North and South, and 

 sectional feeling ran high respecting the issue. More than 

 twenty thousand people assembled to witness it, and the bet- 

 ting on the result was enormously heavy, each section back- 

 ing its representative racing champion without stint or limit. 

 Henry, carrying 108 Ibs., was ridden by a lad; Eclipse, 

 nine years old, 126 Ibs., was mounted by William Crafts. 

 Henry took the lead in the first heat, and was never headed, 

 winning by half a length, apparently well in hand, in the 

 fastest heat ever run to that day in America in 7:37 J. 

 On the call for the second heat, Mr. Samuel Purdy, then 

 regarded as the best amateur horseman in the country, 

 mounted Eclipse. Henry, who was the favorite at odds of 

 three to one, again took the lead, and held it until the last 

 quarter of the third mile, when Mr. Purdy made a push 

 for the lead. Eclipse soon reached his rival and passed 

 him at the commencement of the fourth mile, and beat him 

 the heat in 7:49, by thirty feet, Henry having been pulled 

 up after passing the distance pole, the loss of the heat being 

 evident. Upon being summoned for the third heat, the 

 great trainer Arthur Taylor mounted Henry, instead of 

 the boy who rode him in the first two heats. At the signal, 

 Eclipse took the lead, which he kept to the finish of the 

 race, beating Henry some three lengths, Henry having been 

 reserved for the last quarter; time, 8:24. The twelve miles 

 were run in 23:50J. This established Eclipse's reputation 

 as a racehorse. On the evening of the same day the match 

 was run, Colonel Johnson challenged J. C. Stevens and the 

 friends of Eclipse to run Heary against Eclipse the ensuing 

 Fall over the Washington Course, for any sum from $20,000 

 to $50,000 a side, $10,000 forfeit. The challenge was de- 

 clined, and Eclipse never ran again. In his latter days he 

 was sent to Kentucky, and made several seasons there, and 

 died, in Shelby County, Ky., in August, 1847, in the 

 thirty-fourth year of his age. Spirit of the Times. 



