190 Making the American Thoroughbred 



taken by the "Luzborough faction." "It was sinful," 

 wrote the gentleman above quoted, "the way the Missis- 

 sippi paper was planked up; the start was delayed until 

 after one o'clock, apparently to give full time to every 

 one to settle his bets; some were hedging, but all was 

 piled up, every dollar. A large portion of the bets having 

 been made between Picton and Sarah Bladen, and not 

 on the match, were of course off. Tall sums had been 

 staked on the event through all the South; one gentleman 

 in Louisiana is said to have stood $i 1,000 on it." 



Sarah Bladen was described as a "beautiful creature," 

 well formed, possessing apparently great endurance and 

 the most perfect Leviathan that had appeared up to that 

 time. 



The day of the race was cold and rainy, but an immense 

 crowd was on hand. The Judges were: H. Petway, 

 Samuel Ragland of Alabama, H. L. Douglass and L. P. 

 Cheatham; Distance Judges, Thomas Alderson and 

 John S. McNairy; Patrol Judges, W. G. Harding, P. 

 Higgins, H. Compton and William Gowen; Timers, E. H. 

 Boardman, of Huntsville, Alabama, and Hugh Kirkman. 



"Leila went off ahead," The Spirit's correspondent 

 continued, "but a few bounds placed Sarah before her, 

 Dick exerting all his strength to hold her in. She seemed 

 to disregard the mud, or, as some one said, ran fastest 

 where it was deepest. In half a mile the tale was told, * the 

 dog are dead,' said some. In a mile a blanket would have 

 covered them both, provided it was a hundred yards long. 

 Leila struggled hard after her but she couldn't shine, and 

 had no link to let out; she could not keep up a perpetual 

 brush. Sarah came out in a common canter, leaving her 

 out the distance. Time 8 : 50. This solves the problem of 

 the Leviathan's running 4-mile heats, to the satisfaction 

 of some, at least." 



