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EARLY WASHINGTON RACES Report of Days Racing in 1834 as Recorded by Spectator Both Houses of Congress Adjourn in Honor of the Occasion and Brilliant Assem ¬ blage Gathers at the Course Following is an account of a days racing as witnessed by a spectator at one of the brilliant gatherings that attended the closing day of the Washington City spring meeting of 1834 and published in the American Turf Register at the time timeA A fine day to wind up the sports of the week both houses of Congress adjourned in honor of the occasion and the liveliest inter ¬ est awakened to witness a renewal of the sport The desire on the part of this coun ¬ try to rival her transatlantic friends in everything that is gallant noble and gener ous caused a more brilliant assemblage on the Washington course Saturday than has been known since the memorable match be ¬ tween Eclipse and Sir Charles Furthermore all disinterested spectators returned more gratified than on that occasion when ex ¬ cited hopes were so badly disappointed disappointedGentlemen Gentlemen in complete jockey equipment rede their own horses mile heats On com ¬ ing to the post they were arranged thus First Andrew Buchanan Esq of H B M Legation mounted on his favorite hunter White Surry and arrayed in blue and white striped jacket and cap second Lieutenant Pettigru U S A on his admirable bay charger Hotspur all in white third Lygon Corbin Esq on Colonel a martial looking bay scarlet jacket and cap fourth Captain Ramsay U S N on his beautiful bay horse Contention crimson jacket with black stripe and black cap fifth Henry A Tayloe Esq on his brown gelding Sober John by Caro ¬ linian yellow jacket scarlet and black cap So much for the field Sober John rather the favorite although all the horses were un ¬ known to fame fameRACE RACE HEAD AND HEAD HEADThey They started well together running in hand for the first quartermile when White Surry started from the group at once fol ¬ lowed by Sober John until then the out ¬ sider rather in the rear They now went at it apparently in earnest for more than a quartermile through the sands head and head but on reaching the hill it was evi ¬ dent the weight and the pace had exhausted White Surry as he fell back Sober John now found another competitor in Hotspur which bravely put forth his strength and valorously challenged Sober John well in liand maintained his lead not quite a length leaving the others some yards behind behindMany Many a bright eye glistens and the white handkerchiefs from many a fair hand are given to the breeze while the acclamation of thousands proclaim that Mr Tayloe takes the heat Lieutenant Pettigru sec ¬ ond Captain Ramsay third Mr Corbin fourth and Mr Buchanan a length behind him fifth fifthSober Sober John was now freely taken against the field which had but few backers From the start in the second heat Hotspur led at his best pace closely pursued by White Surry which gained the lead toward the close of the first quartermile when the weight again began to tell on him Being challenged by Contention which went to the front and led gallantly through the sands gradually approached by Sober John they ascend the hill head and head headContention Contention putting forth all his strength they ran side by side and gained further distance from their competitors but Honest John had something in reserve and under a steady pull kept half a length in advance again gallantly taking the heat The contest Continued on twelfth page EARLY WASHINGTON RACES Continued from first page in the rear between Hotspur and The Colonel the latter ultimately gaining the third place by a neck whether through his riders skill so much extolled or from the advantage in weight remains undetermined undeterminedMr Mr Buchanan though bringing up the rear was hailed as the generous turfman who but for the inequality of weight waa Newmarkets able representative Mr Tay loe and Sober John were the Purdy and Eclipse of the day and of them too much could not be said saidAt At the close of the main sweepstake an ¬ other of the mile heats was run in which Sober John ridden by Mr Tayloe gallantly contended with a trained horse from Balti ¬ more skillfully ridden by Captain Broom of the Marine Corps He won both heats by about a length Young Bachelor ridden by Mr Corbin was distanced in the first heaL
