CHAPTER V. 

 The Strain of Blood* 



There are hundreds of other races that have a claim to 

 distinction, but lack of space forbids their mention. These, 

 however, are given simply to show to what illustrious line- 

 age the horses of to-day are able to point when they are 

 actually bred in the purple. It is my intention to endeavor 

 to illustrate as far as possible why a man makes a mistake in 

 not buying a good horse, instead of one of mediocre ability, 

 when he concludes to embark in racing as a business. 



I have tried to show where the best strains of blood lie 

 and for what the horses mentioned were especially noted. 

 In following me through this work the reader will readily 

 comprehend why certain crosses in breeding are essential to 

 produce speed and endurance. On the other hand, it may 

 be urged that the celebrated Brown Kitty, Picayune, Min- 

 erva Anderson, Black Sophia and others were not thorough- 

 breds. Brown Kitty had no breeding, with the exception 

 of one cross by Birmingham, being out of George Thomas' 

 quarter mare Kit, who, although bred to Glencoe, Imported 

 Trustee and other of the best stallions of Kentucky, was 

 never able to produce a foal of any consequence. 



Picayune had three crosses on her dam's side, but they 

 were good. She was bred by Ben Jenkins. She gave to 

 the world Ha'penny, Miss Belle, Doubloon, Florin, Louis 

 d'Or, Ducatoon, Lindora, Dime, Sherrod and others. 



Minerva Anderson was not of the quality. She brought 

 forth Mariam, who was the dam of Magenta, who in turn 

 was the dam of the Duke of Magenta. Mariam had no 

 claim to distinction regarding her parentage. She, in my 

 opinion, proved to be one of the best brood mares up to the 

 present time. 



Black Sophia, by Topgallant, was the dam of Sarah 

 Bladen, Bob Sarden and a host of other performers of note 

 on the turf. 



Still, with all this evidence, I contend that it is better 

 to own a horse actually in the purple than one of obscure 



