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WHEN STATE PRIDE WAS DOMINANT. A Great Race Recalled — Kentucky Against Mississippi — Ocean Trip Robs Turf of Promising Sire. Here are the recollections of n famous race as penned by B. Frank Moore of llarrodsburg. Kv.. who was an eye-witness and wrote from personal knowledge and observation: "I was born and reared on a sugar plantation in Louisiana, one hundred miles above New Orleans, on the Mississippi River. On the evening of March 30, 1854, quite a number of planters, up ami dowa the river, gathered at my fathers home to take the Bayou Sara and New Orleans packet steamer. J. A. Cotton, for New Orleans, to attend and witness that race on April 1. 1854. Owing to a violent rain and wind storm, blowing the chimneys off and otherwise disabling the steamboat, we did not reach New Orleans until the morning of the race dav. "When we entered the office room of the St Charles Hotel my father stumbled against W. J. Minor, to whose plantation, twelve miles below my fathers, the horse Leeomte had beea seat bv his owner. Col. Jeff Wells, to become a. customed to the water and climate, and for full training on W J Minors track. "When my father took Minor to mat side to have a little horse talk, he asked him shoo! a reported sensational four mile trial run Leeomte had made oa his. track only a few days before. Minor smiled and said: Moore, Leeomte did make :, ijttle run the ether day. but secrecy is enjoined n|i,-n me, and I cannot speak of it: but I will say this aiaeh. that if it was a dry. good track today every dollar I could command, negroes, plantation and evorvlhiug on earth I possess would go on that horse beat in" any horse in the world that could be pitted against him. " The track, however, is v ay heavy and stiff in mud, and Lexington coming dowa here as a noted mud horse. I would not risk one real 011 Lscssate. The track was very heavy and stiff, just suited to Lexingtons going, as the result of the race proved. Well, now fo:- the entries and the race: Four States Represented By Four Great Horses. "The great State Post Stakes was represented by four horses from four different states, with an entrance fee of So. quo from oacn state, viz : L-xim.-ton. from Kentucky: Leeomte, from Mississippi ; Arrow, from Louisiana, and Highlander, from Alabama. "Leeomte was born and reared near Alexandria, Rapides, Parish, La., and was entered from that state at first, but owing to the celebrated Virginia borqe, Planet, being un.blo to reach New Orleans in time-, Leeomte was catered from Mississippi, and Arrow substituted by Doacaa 1". Keaaer another Louisiana sugar plant r and turfm.m as the- Louisiana entry. Highlander had made a fairly good reputation as a three and four-mile horse. Some Mobile sportsmen had paid 6*008 f him ami confidently entered him in the race from Alabama. "To make assurances doubly sure, they engaged Kilpatrick Gen. Andrew Jacksons old jockey | to ride him. But that was about all he did, for Lex-ington and Leeomte were under the string when Highlander and Arrow had not much more than catered the homestretch. "When the horses were haaaght out to start. Lexington dm* the- pede. and whin they started took the lead, but was headed at the quart"]- bv Leeomte which kept the lead for three and one-half miles." running more beautifully an 1 game!-.- than nnv horse I had ever seen 011 a track. Lexington, however. kept within easy reach of him. evidently under a stiong pnii. At tin- last half-mils peat the rider gave him his head, and step by step he went up en Leeomte. until Hi y were on even terms at the head of the homestretch. Lexington Wins ate a Length. "It was the-n a struggle under whip and spur to the wire. Lexington winning by a ban- length. Arrow anil Highlander were shut out. and the s • nd heat was only be tout a Lexiagtoa and Leeomte, ami was simply a repetition of the first heat, except that Lexington won by three lengths. Such excitement was u.-e-r before aitaesscd oa a similar Oecastea, and I dont suppose such a COB-eejiii. of people was ever assembled oa a race coarse. "Three of the largest and moat commodious steamers were chartered at Loahnrflle bv mea aad women front Payette and adjoining counties of Kentucky to convey them to New Orteaaa. The mayor of New Orle-ans proelainic-d a half-holiday, and* it did seem as if every man, woman and chill in the city had tunie-d out. "I shall ever remessber my sad ezperieace of the day. I met in the st. Charles Hotel early that morning an obi Kentucky horse ami mate trader friend, who tedd me be hael iu a nearby livery stable se me fine saddle- horses, and if I v.ciuM gel some, frie-nds to Joia hist we could have a more pleasant tun- than beiag crowded tee death in the graadstaad. I theaght well of this suggestion, and soon had frieads ti join me. Sooa after reachiag the- field we were ■iniiioad.il by carriages, bears, haggles ami every raarrirahea caaesysm a and our riew of the horses ;.nd track was almost Completely cat off. "Only now and then could nw ratch a glimpse of the horses through the slight openings, aad. what was worse- still, we ceeiihl not possibly escape from our enfore-ed imprisonment until all was e.ver and the- vast crowd dispersed. "My father was in the graiestaael BBMHsg the jubilating Kentnckians, and not only KMrrifh-eH e-om-fort, but lost nearly in pocket, becaaae his stale pride -:iiise-d him to mee-t the banter- of these happy Kentackiaaa who were yelliag out :t to 1 on Lexington after the- first beat Bat all Ilia, fun and frolic was over f-.r a time, and another like- event was on the tapis. "The following Saturday. April s. another jm key rtab meeting at the Matarie race coone begas, aad lexiagtoa, Leeomte ami Beahe were the retries for tin- four-mile race for a purse of . 2."00. "The week precodtag hail beea dry anil balmv. characteristic of spring weather in Louisiana, ami the track was in first-class order win n the race was o illc-el. Lecomtes Record -Breaking Four Miles. "The three entries appeared in splendid form and c-. nditioii. and while Lexington was the- favorite iu the bettlag, Leeomte had plenty - f hackers. The start was made with Leeomte in the lead, which be BOW to the finish, in the- record -breaking time of 7:2 ;. and leading Lexiagtoa six full h-ngths. Reabe barely saved his distance, evidently being outclassed. The second bept was about as the first, Leeomte winning by four lengths from Lexington in 7:3S:i,. and Keubo distanced. "This ended the contest between those two horses, but Lexington, on the 2d of May. 1S.-.5. made the run against time in a single dash of four mites, which was run in 7:1ML. He. however, had every possible advantage, a fine day. fine track, a running start and the fastest mile horses for every mile in turn. "Now what was the denouement of all this? Le-e-omte was crowned champion of the Ami-rican turf. aad Dick Ten Broeck. recognizing this fact, bought and took him to Bugland with Paper and Prvoress in the spring of 1S50. but thy champion never agaia appeared on the turf. He took cold on the ocean steamer, which developed into pneumonia, of which he died shortly after reaching London. Lexington went stone blind at four and was sold to Ab-xander. of Woodford County. Kentucky, for 0,000. and put in the stud on his farm. "Leeomte got his name from a rich planter living on Cane River. Natchitoches Parish. Louisiana, ami the town or village of Leeomte was built up after this race, on the sugar Stoats t ion of Je-ff Wells. which was previously called Lodi. sixteen miles from Ale-xandria. Welles wanted to bestow all the honors possible upon that invincible horse, hence the name Leeomte."
