University of Virginia Library

HORSE TALK.

Meeting John Harper at the track to-day, I told him they
were betting that his horse would never run the four-mile race.

“Tell them all,” said he, “that I shall surely run the race, if
everything is right with the hoss, and the track is pretty.”

“Has Longfellow ever run a four-mile race?”

“No, but with what bottom he has, I think I can put enough
more bottom into him to dust `the Fisher' in August.”

Belmont offered Harper $60,000 again for Longfellow yesterday
if his owner would throw in the old mare.

“The mar will never leave my farm till I do—and then
dead!” exclamed the Kentuckian.

Old John came up to me just as I was writing the last
paragraph, when I asked him why he did not let Longfellow
run yesterday.

“Waal,” said the old man, “I want to keep him out and get
him ready for the great four-mile race with the Fisher, Helmbold,
and the others in August.”

This reply is a confession of weakness on the part of old
John; and Kingfisher stock goes up accordingly.

At the last race, 2¼ miles, Uncle John told Bob Swim, his
jockey, “to run `old Long' as far out as he could, from ind to
ind.”

Longfellow came in tired, while Kingfisher looked fresh enough
for an other mile. This is why “old John” feared the three-mile
race yesterday, and why he ought to fear the four-mile race
in August.

Can old John put bottom enough in his horse to run with the
five year olds at that great race?

This is the question now.

Oysterman goes on winning every hurdle race. We are
getting sick of his chronic winning. We want a new horse by
way of variety.