The New York Sport at Long Branch; Or, Blocking the Burlesque Actress Game

This issue of Beadle and Adams' (No. 799, Vol. LXII) features "The New York Sport at Long Branch; or, Blocking the Burlesque Actress's Game," a romance of the metropolis by Albert W. Aiken. The narrative, set at Long Branch during the Monmouth Park races, introduces Brewster Kinsade, a prominent newspaper writer known by the pen name "King Lear," and Jefferson Clairborne, a wealthy young Creole from New Orleans. Clairborne, whose fortune was rebuilt after his father's death in the war, arrives to race his three-year-old mare "Southern Girl" in the Monmouth Cup. The two discuss racing odds and strategy: Clairborne has wagered two thousand dollars at 50-to-1 odds and anticipates placing more bets. Their conversation focuses on the race's competitive field, particularly the favorite "Doldale," owned by the profligate young millionaire Alex Van Courtlandt. Clairborne argues his mare possesses superior stamina for the distance, tracing her bloodline to the champion racehorse Lexington.