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History of American Thoroughbred 1 1 i I j p j ! , , I1 1 : . 1 ; 1 t 1 ! 1 1 1 , r 1 r n . e 0 r ir s ;e J a Tvrenty-SoTcnlli Installment. In this race for a jockey club purse, for all apes, in three-mile heats, he was beaten by Brown Dick. Hornpipe was distanced in ! the second heat and Mary Taylor in the first. As is rarely the case, the defeated horse gained laurels by his defeat The time , iwas unequaled. Time of First Heat. First mile 1 :.T0 Second mile 1:49 Third mile 1:51 Heat 5:30 Timo of Second Heat. First mile 1:50 1 Second mila 1:48 Third mile l:-io " ; Heat 5;"8 Those who witnessed the race assert that Arrow was not, at the close of the second heat, above half a second behind. One second would have raised the time of the heat of three miles to 5:29. It is also asserted that no one who saw this horse during the race and at its conclusion entertained the least doubt of his ability to run a fourth-mile in 1:56, and it would seem that there can be no reason to doubt it since he had already run six miies the slowest in 1 :51 and had mended his time in the latter miles. Had he made it in 1 :5C-;i he would, it seems, have won the match by a quarter of a second and thus justified Mr. Ten Broecks opinion. He probably would have won it by much more than that, as there is no reason why he should fall of :07 in his last mile. On the same course once more, however, after losing four-mile heats to him in 7:55 7:56, he gained his greatest glory by defeating Lecompte himself for a jockey club purse of three-mile heats, Lecompte taking the first heat in 6:00 and Arrow the second and third in 5:59 6:03. It is to be presumed, however, that Mr. Ten Broeck held Lecompte the better horse, since he, and not Arrow, was the file-leader of his string sent upon an English expedition. His race, the best three-mile race ever run up to that time, is thus narrated in the New Orleans Picayune: Yesterday being the last day of the Me-Laire Jockey Club rneetinj? and a day of recreation to many who are usually engaged in business, there was a large attendance at the course. The fame of the two horses that ver. to contend for the club purse of ,000 at three-mile heats, was well known, and a fast race was confidently anticipated. Arrow, having run a four-mile race in 7 :39 on January 1 last, finishing the last mile in a canter, and Little Plea having last Wednesday run and saved her distance against the fleet Blonde, which made the then fastest three-mile race on record 5 :36 and 5.34 all gave token that if both of them were fit time would be literally used up. The betting before the start was in favor of Arrow at about 100 to 40 and considerable amounts were taken. On starting for the first heat Arrow took the lead and kept it for about two miles by about four lengths. Flea then gradually closed the gap and, on the backstretch in the third mile, lapped and apparently passed Arrow handily. Arrow now made a great effort to regain the lead, but the pace had been so tremendous from the start that he could not do so. Little Plea, to the surprise of everyone, kept up his terrific pace and won the heat by a trifle in the fastest time then on record, 5 :33 1-4. In the last few strides of the heat Arrow was gaining and as the two passed the judges stand Arrow was at the saddle girth of Little Flea. As Arrow had apparently labored more in the first heat than Little Flea and appeared more distressed by his exertions, and as the heat of the sun was great, some persons looked upon the race as finished. Little Flea became the favorite at 100 to 20. In the second heat Arrow again led the way and opened up a large gap. He was apparently running with more ease and steadiness than in tho first heat. In spite of every effort of Little Flea, Arrow kept the lead, to win tho heat in the quick time of 5 :36, by two lengtn;? Again the betting changed and Arrow came into favor at 100 to 30. In the third heat Ar-row again led off and opened a gap of twelve lengths, winning handily by eight lengths In 5:43 1-2. Timo of First Heat. First mile 1:51 Hecod mile l:fl Third mllo 1:51 Tims of Second Heat. first mile 1:52 Second mile 1:51 Third mile 1:52 Time of Third Heat. First mile 1:52 Second mila 1:-M Third mile .., 1:58 These campaigns of 1851, 1855 and 1S5G, tho principal events of which will long stand con-U spicuous in the annals of the early American turf, are certainly to be considered of groat mark. Although the springy and elastic nature of the New Orleans courses are peculiarly favorable to the making of fast time, and although the excessive lightness of the southern weights tend to the same result, no one can deny the geatness of the achievements. Th fastest four-mile heats in 7 :26 1- by Lecompte ; in 7 :19 3-1 by Lexington, against Lecomptes time, and lastly in 7:23 3-1 by Lexington against Lecompte ; the fastest I three-mile lit-uis in a .oO 3 1 and i :2S by Lrowa IkU uuiut Ariovv, and tho iajUbt ! , 1 ; mile that ever was run up to that date constitute a record of which to be proud. But of these champions, what remains to record? Lexington, blind prematurely. Henry Perritt dead of his overexertions. Lecompte, after his brilliant career here, amiss in his forlegs when sent on his English campaign. Tho race is not always to the swift nor tho battle to the strong. Pryor was sired by Glencoe, in 1852 dam Gipsy, own sister to Medoc, by American Eclipse ; granddam Young Maid of the Oaks, by Expedition ; g.g. dam Maid of the Oaks, by Spread Eagle ; g.g.g. dam by Sharke ; g.g.fT-g. dam by Rockingham ; g.g.g.g.g. dam by True Whig; g.g.g.g.g.g. dam by Gallant; g.g.g.g.g. g.sr. dam by Regulus ; g.g.g.g.g.g.g.g. dam by Diamond, etc. On his first appearance at Metairie course, New Orleans, Pryor scored in the Picayunnc Stakes, defeating YV. J. Minors La Dame Blanche and D. F. Kenners Melody. Pryor was defeated in the first heat, which went to La Dame Blanche, but scored In tne second and third. The time of the race was : First, heat, 1 :50 ; second heat, 1 :50 ; third heat, 1:56 1-2. At the Natchez, Miss., spring races over the Pharsalia course Pryor raced the famed Lecompte into defeat. The race was at four-mile heats and was, I think, almost equal to anything I have ever witnessed, stamping both of the contending thoroughbreds as first-class horses and proving conclusively that Lecompte was a gamer and better horse than he had been given credit for. The difficulties which he encountered in his tedious land journey from Alexandria to Natchez could not have improved his condition, yet, to all appearances, he was all that could be desired. His eye was clear and bright, as was his skin, and his proud defiant air. his elastic step and his general demeanor betokened ability to go the pace and keep up. YVOKES OUT WELL. In his exercise, which I particularly noticed the day before the race, I was much pleased with the style in which he came down the quarter stretch. He looked as if he could fairly fly. He had no superfluous flesh upon him and, in short, upon stripping for tho race he looked the perfection of a horse. Of Pryor but little was known and therefore little was expected. Twice he had met Mr. Kenners filly Minnow and in both instances he was compelled to yield the palm of superiority to her powers. In the last race with Minnow, at two-mile heats, Pryor ran the longest distance he had ever accomplished. In his race with Le Roi, three days previously, he had developed extraordinary fleetness and the purity of his blood and the general excellence of his form gave promise of endurance which lured his trainer to the desperate chance of attacking even so formidable a rival as the renowned Lecompte of 7 :26 memory. To Be Continued.
