LONG ISLAND COURSE. 147 



third heats ; second heat taken by Dread. The other horses 

 entered were Collector, Spot, Chancellor and Terror, 



Top is a fine, clean-limbed, well-looking bay, about fifteen 

 hands high, and his movement is sure, thongh easy. Every 

 visitor to the Hunting Park Course is well acquainted with him, 

 and all, as we remarked before, are attached to him. It is said 

 that upon one occasion, a match trot was formed in some part of 

 New Jersey, neither of the horses being known to the adverse 

 parties, and when the animals were brought upon the ground, a 

 small boy, who had visited Philadeljjhia, after looking closely 

 for some minutes at the frame and movements of one of them, 

 exclaimed, with a burst of admiration, " By G — d. Old Top." — 

 Upon inquiry, it was found to be so, and the trot was declined. 



A few days only before the fall meeting, described above, on 

 the Hunting Park Course, the noted old trotter, Screwdriver, 

 finished his career, and his obituary is thus registered in the 

 American Farmer ; — 



" The emperor of horses is no more. Screwdriver is dead. 

 He died suddenly on Sunday, October 19, 1828, in his training 

 stable at Philadelphia. This is the noble animal that trotted 

 and won at Philadelphia the silver cup and $300, on the 15th of 

 May last, beating Betsey Baker and Topgallant. On the 7th 

 inst. he won the $300 purse on Long Island, and was intended 

 for the $300 purse to be trotted for on Tuesday, the 21st inst., 

 at Philadelphia. He was considered the best trotter ever known 

 in this or any other country, of a fine figure and excellent tem- 

 per. He was the property of J. P. Brown, of this city." — Phil. 

 Paper. 



In September of the following year, 1829, the publication of 

 the American Turf Register was commenced, and in its second 

 number are the following notices ; — 



" On September 7th, at half-past four o'clock, a race was run 

 on the Long Island Course, for a purse of $500, by the cele- 

 brated horses Bowery Boy and Stranger. The distance was two- 

 mile heats. The first heat was racked, in 5m. 04^s. ; the se- 

 cond in 5ra. 07s. Both heats were won by Bowery Boy ; the 

 first with ease ; the second by a short distance. At a former 

 race, Stranger was the winning horse." 



" The New York and Long Island Trotting Club announce 



