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.
Cadwallader R. Colden, writing under the pseudonym "An Old Turfman," noted that American Eclipse was mishandled by Crafts during the first heat; Crafts whipped and spurred the horse excessively.