36 



between which the race occurred — this was the race between 

 Prince Leafe and Ben Brush, i ^ miles, 128 lbs. up, in 2m. 34s., 

 track actually heavy. In talking over the race the fol- 

 lowing- day, both Mr. Michael Dwyer and Byron McClel- 

 land agreed that it was by all odds the best race that either 

 had ever seen run, Mr. Dwyer remarking that he believed 

 that the race in question would have won any English 

 Derby that had ever taken place. At that moment he re- 

 marked : " I have nobody to blame but myself ; though 1 ran 

 the best horse and lost, and lost my money also, 1 fully 

 agree with them that unless the race run by Scisonby last 

 fall, 2% miles, over the Sheepshead Bay track, was as good, 

 or perhaps better, I never saw any other as good." 



Another of the great races that made an epoch on the 

 American turf close to the middle of the 19th century took 

 place over the Woodlawn Course, near Louisville, Kentucky, 

 the contestants in this race being Molly Jackson, by Vandal, 

 out of Emily Right, by imported Margrave, and Colton, by 

 Lexington, dam Topaze by imported Glenco; Sherod, by 

 Lecompt, dam the famous Picayune, by Medock ; and al- 

 though one of the fasicsi races ever run in the world, at the 

 distance, even up to this day, and won at three heats by Molly 

 Jackson, the first heat won by Molly Jackson in 5m. 35 ^s., 

 Colton second, Sherod third and Betty Ward last in this 

 heat. The second heat was won by Sherod, who led Molly 

 Jackson by half a length, Colton third, time 5:34^ ; the third 

 heat was lost to Molly Jackson by Mer Clay's horse Colton 

 making a most palpable foul on Sherod, by carrying him 

 clean out to the outside fence as Sherod started to make his 

 run at the head of the last stretch, causing Sherod to lose at 

 least five or six lengths, which he had to make up in less 

 than a quarter of a mile, and was only beaten a neck on the 

 post in fastest heat, less three-quarters of a second, which 

 had been made in California by Norfolk, when he ran three 

 miles in 5m. 27^5., this third heat won by Molly in 5:28^. 

 It was evident that Sherod was the best horse inthis race and 

 should have won but for Colton's interference at the head 

 of the stretch, which won the race for Mollie Jackson, beat- 

 ing Sherod only a neck on the post with Bettie Ward third ; 

 the last or ninth mile of this remarkable race was run in 

 im. 48s,, and the heat in 5m. 28%s. 



