Mr. Punchinello on the Turf.

History relates that the era of Horse-racing commenced about the year
680 B. C., but it was some time after that when Mr. PUNCHINELLO made his
_debut_ as a candidate for the honors of the turf. To put the matter
more concisely, it is just six days since he drove his horse "Creeping
Peter" on the track at Monmouth Park, Long Branch. The only object which
Mr. P. had in view, when he purchased his celebrated trotter and put him
into training, was the improvement of the breed of American horses.
While our BONNERS, VANDERBILTS and GRANTS are devoting all their
surplus time and means to this great end, Mr. P., in placing the name of
his yellow horse in the hands of the poolseller, would scorn to have a
less noble aim.

But this great object need not interfere with others of less importance,
and therefore Mr. P. will not deny that, after having exhibited to his
friends and the sporting fraternity in general, his little investment in
fancy horseflesh, he made up a very satisfactory betting-book.

Now Mr. P. believed,--and events proved him to be correct,--that when
his friends and the sporting fraternity saw his horse, they would bet
heavily against him. Mr. P., however, in all the pride of amateur
ownership, bet quite as heavily _upon_ his noble steed. His friends and
the above-mentioned fraternity chuckled and winked behind his back, but
although Mr. P. heard them chuckle and knew that they were winking, his
belief in his final success never wavered. Any ordinary observer might
be expected to remark that Creeping Peter was not entirely without
blemish. Besides being spavined and having three of his hoofs injured by
sand-crack, he had poll-evil, fistulas, malanders, ring-bone, capped