CHAPTER VII. 



THE AMERICAN RACE HORSE. 



Antiquity of American racing First race course at Hempstead Plain, 1665 

 Racing- in Virginia, 1677 Conditions of early races Early so-called 

 Arabian importations The marvelous tradition of Lindsay's "Arabian" 

 English race horses first imported about 1750 The old colonial stock as a 

 basis First American turf literature Skinner's American Turf Register 

 and Sporting Magazine, 1829 CadwalladerR. Colden's Sporting Magazine 

 short-lived but valuable The original Spirit of the Times Porter's 

 Spirit of the Times Wilkes' Spirit of the Times, 1859 Edgar's Stud Book 

 Wallace's Stud Book Bruce's Stud Book Their history, methods, and 

 value Summing up results, showing that success Las followed breeding 

 to individuals and families that could run and not to individuals and 

 families that could not run, whatever their blood. 



HORSES were kept for running, and horse racing was a com- 

 mon amusement in some of the American Colonies for about a 

 hundred years before the first English race horses were imported. 

 This embraces a century of horse history that, hitherto, has been 

 practically unexplored and unknown. For the details of what I 

 have been able to glean of this neglected and unknown century 

 my readers are referred to the chapters on the different colonies. 

 The first racing in this country of which we have any historical 

 knowledge was organized by G-overnor Nicolls. In 1664 the- 

 Dutch surrendered the province of New Netherlands to the Eng- 

 lish, and the next autumn, 1665, the new race course at Hemp- 

 stead Plains was inaugurated by the new governor of the colony. 

 This course was named Newmarket, after the famous English 

 course, and G-overnor Nicolls' successors continued to offer 

 purses on this course for many years, and after a time there were 

 two regular meetings held there, spring and autumn. Owing to 

 the distance of this course from the city, other courses, near at 

 hand, were soon constructed and racing of all kinds and at all 

 gaits held high carnival. The principal prizes were called "Sub- 

 scription Purses," the distance almost invariably two miles, and 

 the weight carried ten stone. The horses that ran were known 



