THE MATCH WON. 335 



himself a clear length in the lead, in which position they closed 

 the second mile. Time, 1.51. 



Again the hurrah rises as thej pass the stand — ^" One hun- 

 dred to seventy -five on Lexington ! " — and swells in still wilder 

 volume when Lexington increased his one length to three, from 

 the stand to the turn of the back stretch. In vain Lecomte strug- 

 gled ; in vain he called to mind his former laurels ; in vain his 

 rider struck him with the steel ; his great spii-it was a sharper 

 spur, and when his tail fell, as it did from this time out, I could 

 imagine he felt a sinking of the heart, as he saw streaming be- 

 fore him the waving flag of Lexington, now held straight out in 

 race-horse fashion, and anon nervously flung up, as if it were a 

 plume of triumph. " One hundred to fifty on Lexington ! " The 

 three lengths was increased to four, and again the shout arose, 

 as in this relative condition they went for the third time over the 

 score. Time, 1.51. 



The last crisis of the strife had now arrived, and Lecomte, if 

 he had any resources left, must call upon them straight. So 

 thought his rider, for the steel went into his sides ; but it was in 

 vain, he had done his best ; while, as for Lexington, it seemed 

 as if he had just begun to run. Gil. Patrick now gave him 

 a full rein, and for a time as he went down the back stretch, it 

 actually seemed as if he were running for the very fun of the 

 thing. It was now $100 to $10 on Lexington, or any kind 

 of odds, but there were no takers. He had the laurel in 

 his teeth, and was going for a distance. But at this inglorious 

 prospect Lecomte desperately rallied, and escaped the humilia- 

 tion by drawing himself a few lengths within the distance pole, 

 while Lexington dashed past the stand, hard in hand, and actu- 

 ally running away with his rider — making the last mile in 1.52^, 

 and completing the four in the unprecedented time of 7.23|-. I 

 say unprecedented, because it beats Lecomte's 7.26, and is there- 

 fore the fastest heat that was ever made in a match. 



Thus ended the greatest match that has happened on the 

 Turf for many years : nay, I might rather say, that ever took 

 place, and putting to rest all cavil so far as Lexington's powers 

 are concerned, about the difference between Y.19f and 7.26. In 

 comparing the time, however, with that recorded in favor o ' 

 other racers, it should be stated that the track at E'ew Orleans, 



