156 Making the American Thoroughbred 



people, many of whom were from the South, were on the 

 ground. But Col. William R. Johnson was not. 



"Where, where was Roderick then! 

 One blast upon his bugle-horn 

 Were worth a thousand men." 



Indeed, the entire 60,000 could have been spared better 

 than he from the Southern standpoint. An overdose 

 of lobsters had put the actual management of the race 

 upon others. Besides the stake of $20,000, $200,000 was 

 bet on the result. 



Though not yet four years old Henry was required to 

 carry 108 pounds. Eclipse, nine years old, carried 126 

 pounds. In the first heat William Crafts rode Eclipse 

 and a Virginia boy named John Walden rode Henry. 

 Crafts wore a crimson jacket and cap and Walden a sky 

 blue jacket and cap. 



Henry took the lead at the start, was soon three lengths 

 ahead, and kept that distance ahead up to the last quarter 

 of the fourth mile, running all the time under a strong 

 pull, neither whip nor spur being used at any time. Eclipse 

 was terribly punished and pushed to his utmost but never 

 got any closer than one length to Henry; thus they came 

 under the wire; time 7:37?, which remained the record 

 for many years. Henry had run the four miles in shorter 

 time than his managers had expected. 



Samuel Purdy, who had frequently ridden Eclipse and 

 who understood him better than anyone else, was then 

 engaged as a housebuilder in New York City. A mis- 

 understanding had resulted in his not being chosen as 

 Eclipse's jockey for this contest. Purdy, feeling that he 

 would be needed, attended the race, wearing his jockey 

 suit under his citizens clothes and with cap and spurs in 

 his pocket. After Crafts had demonstrated to everyone 



