Coles didn't start American Eclipse until he was a three-year-old, and then he raced him sparingly. He had a few race starts at four and was victorious each time. He was, according to many who saw him, the greatest American racehorse of his day. At five, he raced for Cornelius W. Van Ranst, who had purchased him from Coles for $3,000. At five, he maintained his form, but Van Ranst put him out to
stud at six. At ages six and seven, he bred to a number of mares for a fee of $12.50. To assist the newly opened
Union Course, Van Ranst put the horse back into training. In his next start, he defeated the good mare
Lady Lightfoot (a winner of 31 races), by
Sir Archy, in the first heat. He distanced her in the second heat when they were the only starters since all others had withdrawn. In his next race, all other horses scratched after contesting American Eclipse in the first heat, except Sir Walter who lost. At this point, a match race was organized between American Eclipse and James J. Harrison’s noted horse Sir Charles. Sir Charles, with 20 wins to his credit, injured himself in a workout, and Harrison was required to forfeit the match, which American Eclipse won. A second match was arranged only a single heat, and this time Sir Charles raced but broke down, leaving American Eclipse an easy winner.
American Eclipse versus Sir Henry match Race When American Eclipse was nine years old, another challenge was issued with the intent to race five top horses against American Eclipse, who would represent the North. The race was to be run six months from the date of the challenge over the old
Long Island Union Course. (This kind of thing was often done, with no one knowing what condition a horse might be in after six months, and in this case, with the South not having to name the horses challenging.) The South's noted horseman William Johnson trained six horses from the South before deciding that Henry was to race American Eclipse. The race was to be decided with the best two of three four-mile heats for a purse of $10,000. Over 60,000 people attended to see American Eclipse contest Henry (three years old and by Sir Archy). Also racing were John Richards and Washington, not tested at such a distance, but with so much time before the race, their owners intended that they would be. By the time the race came round, two Southern horses had pulled out: Washington for proving not good enough in his training, and John Richards for injury. Among the great crowd at
Union Course on May 27, 1823 was
Andrew Jackson, then
American governor of
Florida. So were the
Vice-President of the United States, Daniel Tompkins, and the infamous
Aaron Burr, who had shot and killed
Alexander Hamilton in
a duel about 19 years earlier (July 11, 1804). Racing against Henry and ridden by William Crafts, American Eclipse lost the first heat by a length (the only time he was ever beaten) to Henry, whose time of 7.37 was the best yet seen in America over four miles. American Eclipse, at nine, carried 126 pounds (57 kg), while his much younger rival carried 108 pounds (49 kg). The famed turf historian Cadwallader R. Colden (who wrote under the name "An Old Turfman”) said that American Eclipse was ridden badly by Crafts, who whipped and spurred him in the first heat. William Crafts was replaced after this heat by the noted Samuel Purdy, who had retired but gladly rode a horse he'd ridden in his youth. In the second heat, American Eclipse raced close to Henry and won this heat. In the third and last heat, the horses were exhausted, but American Eclipse was more seasoned and won by three lengths, to the jubilation of the North. In his eight race starts, he won eight times, earning $25,000. ==Stud record==