168 



1196. — Over the same Course, Commerce, then 6 years old, carrying 

 120 lbs., beat Mr. Bellinger's bl. h. Matchem, 4 mile heats. Matchem 

 won the 1st heat, and bolted in the 2d. 



On Saturday, in the same week, he won the Handicap Purse, beating 

 Capt. O'Brien Smith's Tally-ho, Mr. Moultrie's Banker, and Col. McPher- 

 son's Touch-and-Jump. 



1191. — Wednesday, Feb. 8. — Same Course. — 4 mile heats. — Jockey 

 Club Purse. — He beat Lath easily. 



1798. — Monday, Feb. 12. — Commerce won a Jockey Club Subscrip- 

 tion Purse of $1,000, 4 mile heats, over the Washington Course. The 

 entries were : — Mr. Fenwicke's b. h. Commerce, aged, 133 lbs.; Col. 

 Washington's b. h. Shark, aged, 133 lbs.; Gen. Hampton's Patriot, 4 

 years, 106 lbs. 



Commerce won the 1st and 3d heats. Shark the 2d, and made a very 

 near thing of the 3d. Patriot was well up in each heat. The Course 

 was very heavy, I am informed, or the time would have been better. 

 The 1st heat, I find, is recorded in the journal of a friend, to have been 

 run in 8 m. 16 sec. ; 2d heat, 8 m. IV sec. ; 3d heat, 8 m. 32 sec. 



Commerce and Shark, I am told, were often tried against each other, 

 and were so nearly equal, it was the opinion of competent judges that 

 condition alone determined their superiority. This was confirmed, it is 

 said, by the fact, that whenever Mr. Fenwicke, who knew the temper and 

 constitution of both horses well, trained Commerce, he beat Shark; and 

 whenever he had the care and handling of Shark, Shark in his turn 

 would beat Commerce. 



Shark having beaten several of Gen. Hampton's best horses — his Lath 

 and Hazard — he resolved to find a horse that should be more fortunate 

 against him. In 1799, therefore, he trained a remarkably fine gelding, 

 and brouglit him on the Course. As he was entered to destroy Shark, 

 he gave him the significant name of Harpoon. This formidable instru- 

 ment, however, that was chosen to do so much execution, and afibrd such 

 sport, proved bluntless and unworthy, not even grazing the side of the 

 monster of the deep. Harpoon, though not being able to make any 

 headway against Shark, nevertheless proved a good horse, and won 

 many fine races. 



With the same object that Harpoon was matched against Shark, a 

 horse was also selected to defeat and put down Commerce. He was 

 named Privateer. This clipper (for he was a horse of great foot) did 

 not prove fast enough, however, to overhaul his anticipated prize, and, 

 like Harpoon, had to retire " inglorious from the field." 



Gen. McPherson bought from Col. Alston his Brilliant mare, and his 



