THE THOROUGHBRED IN AMERICA 51 



bookmakers frequent enough chance to turn over 

 the money of the public. They base these pre- 

 tensions on the performance of Lucretia Borgia, 

 a four-year-old, that ran a four-mile dash in 1897, 

 in California, in 7. 1 1 , carrying eighty-five pounds. 

 I have no doubt that the Thoroughbreds of the 

 present are much faster than those of 1823, but 

 the only way to compare them as to gameness 

 and bottom is to have them repeat and repeat 

 again, and see whether or not this increased fleet- 

 ness is maintained. Probably it will not be done, 

 for the one-time sport of gentlemen is nowadays 

 very much a mere gambler's game. 



The next great contest that old-time racing 

 men spoke of with a respect that was akin to awe 

 was that between Gray Eagle, a Kentucky horse, 

 by Woodpecker out of Ophelia by Medley, and a 

 Louisiana horse, Wagner, by Sir Charles out of 

 Maria West by Marion, at four-mile heats. This 

 was at Louisville in 1839. Wagner won the first 

 two heats. Gray Eagle being badly ridden, in 

 7.48 and 7.44. This race was run on a Monday. 

 The following Saturday the race was repeated. 

 Gray Eagle won the first heat in 7.51; Wagner 



