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ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH OF ECLIPSE. Foalal en April 1, 17G4, and Named After Famous Eclipse of the Sun. With the opening of the eastrra racing season at Howie. Md., yest-rday. the Toronto Star sport writer, in his daily comments, writes of the tremendous Improremeats m tin- speed of nee bones in the last century and a half, and also brings out the fact that last sun lay sras the 153d anniversary of the birth of BcUpee, foaled April 1, 1704. His article in part reads: "Few turf follow ers realize the tremendous improvements in the speed of race horses in the laal century and a half. In the eighteenth century the fleetest equines were Flying Ciiil.lers and Eclipse. The latt.-r was ion:.- considered one of the aronders of Gie world — a veritable marvel of speed and endurance, tie list work in horseflesh. Sunday was the land anniversary of the birth of Eclipse, foaled on April 1. 1764, the day of a famous eclipse of the sua, hence his asms. He was never beaten, and died in February, 17*9. having lived almost a quarter of a century. He was never, ton. lied with whip or spar — a circumstance that upholds the theory of many ppsent -day buneasea that a great majority of horses would inn truer to form if they never felt the Whfa The heart of Eclipse weighed fourteen pounds, which was thought to account for his marvelous courage and spirit. Flying Childers. another famous bone of the eighteenth -. atary, lived twenty-sis years. He was the fleetest horse ever bred ill tie- world up to the time of Ellipse.
