15 



RIORESS was foaled 1854, and was got by imp. 

 Sovereign out of Reel, by Glencoe. She was a 

 bay mare, about sixteen hands high, with a white 

 star on her forehead, and a small ring of white 

 on her near hind pastern. She made her debut, 

 under the name of Poison, on the Metairie Course, April 3, 

 1856, in the Equus Stakes, for two-year-olds, mile heats, 

 which she won easily beating the filly by Glencoe out of 

 Blue Filly, Lucy Dashwood colt and L'Ingot D'Or. April 

 10, same course, won similar stakes for two-year-olds, mile 

 heats, beating the Lucy Dashwood colt easily. June 19, 

 Fashion Course, was beaten, under the name of Prioress, 

 for the Association Stakes, mile heats, by Nicholas I. 

 Prioress was second in the first heat, and distanced in the 

 second. In August, 1856, she was embarked for England 

 with Pryor and Lecompte. 



Mr. Ten Broeck's enterprise in thus boldly pitting his 

 stable against the whole of England had been widely 

 noticed by the American press, and their first races on 

 English soil excited great interest on both sides of the 

 Atlantic. Prioress, ridden by Gilpatrick, who rode Lexington 

 in his famous match against time; and Pryor, with Little- 

 field up, made their debut in the race for the Goodwood 

 Cup, two miles and a half, July 30, 1857, for which four- 

 teen horses ran. For a while they figured prominently in 

 the race, but not being thoroughly acclimated, they could 

 only run into the fifth and sixth places respectively, Count 

 La Grange's Monarque, the sire of the renowned Gladia- 

 teur, winning the race, with Riseber second, the famous 

 Fisherman third and Anton fourth. The result of this race 

 created much disappointment in America. The horses were 

 put into the hands of a new trainer, and Charlton, the cele- 

 brated English jockey, who had recently won the Derby 

 and Oaks with Blink Bonny, was engaged to ride Prioress 

 in her next engagement the Sussex County Cup, two 

 miles, August 12, for which five horses started. In worse 

 condition than at Goodwood, nervous and leg weary, she only 

 obtained fourth place to Tournament, Polestar, and Chevalier 

 d'Industrie. October 5, in the Shorts Handicap, at the 

 Chester Autumn Meeting, she was last in a field of seven. 

 The American mare had now recovered from the sickness 

 which haunted Mr. Ten Broeck's stable, and had become 

 acclimated ; but still the betting public would not believe 

 in her, and in the race for the Cesarewitch Stakes, two 

 miles and two furlongs, October 13, she was hardly even 

 named in the betting, 100 to 1 being offered against her. 

 Thirty-four horses ran, among which were many of the best 

 in England, notably Fisherman, 4 years, carrying 129 Ibs. ; 

 Warlock, the winner of the St. Leger, 1856, 4 years, 123 

 Ibs.; Saunterer, 3 years, 117 Ibs.; Black Tommy, second in 

 the Derby, 1857, 3 years, 109 Ibs.; Gunboat, 3 years, 

 103 Ibs., and El Hakim, 3 years, 93 Ibs. The race resulted 

 in a dead heat between Prioress, El Hakim, and Queen 

 Bess, a three-year-old who only carried 66 Ibs. In 

 the deciding heat, she came home an easy winner by a 

 length and a half, El Hakim beating Queen Bess by a head 

 only for second place. For the Cambridgeshire Stakes, 

 October 30, she was unplaced, and then went into winter 

 quarters. 



Her first appearance in 1858 was for the Great York- 

 shire Handicap, September 14, where she achieved an easy 

 four-lengths victory over brother to Bird-on-the-Wing and 

 ten others. The Cesarewitch day now rolled round, and 

 thirty-five of the pick of England's race-horses came together 



for this rich prize. Among them were Leamington, 5 years, 

 130 Ibs.; Odd Trick, the winner of the Cambridgeshire of 

 1857, 4 years, 119 Ibs ; Malacca, the winner of the Cam- 

 bridgeshire of 1856, 5 years, 99 Ibs. ; the game little Under- 

 hand, 4 years, 114 Ibs. ; Mr. Sykes, who won the same stakes 

 in 1855, carrying 106 Ibs.; Poodle, Vandermeulin and 

 others. Notwithstanding Prioress carried 126 Ibs., the 

 highest weight but one, her game qualities were so univer- 

 sally recognized, that the despised outsider of the previous 

 year now stood at the starting-post the first favorite. A 

 very exciting race resulted in the success, by a head only, 

 of the three-year-old Rocket, who only carried 88 Ibs., while 

 Prioress ran a dead heat for second place with the Brewer, 

 who, although her own age, carried 28 Ibs. less than she did. 

 The rest of the field were some distance behind the trio. 

 The London Sunday Times said of this race : ' Prioress ran 



with extraordinary gameness Had she not incurred 



the seven pounds penalty for winning at Doncaster, she 

 would unquestionably have repeated her triumph of the 

 preceding year." The day before the Cesarewitch, the 

 mighty Beadsman elected to pay forfeit, in a match for 

 500 a side, rather than meet the American mare. October 

 27, she ran in the Cambridgeshire Stakes, but only obtained 

 sixth place; and with a victory over Poodle, in a match for 

 200 a side, she closed her labors for the season. 



As a six-year-old, April 28, 1859, at the Newmarket 

 Craven Meeting, she gave Count Batthyany's Olympus a 

 twenty-lengths beating, in a match for 100 sovereigns, ditch 

 mile ; and in the Chester Cup, May 4, carrying 102 Ibs., in 

 a field of thirty-three horses, she was fourth to Leamington, 

 6 years, 114 Ibs.; Herne, 4 years, 88 Ibs., and Botany, 4 

 years, 76 Ibs. Two days afterwards, at the same meeting, 

 carrying 102 Ibs., she was fourth for the Steward's Cup, 

 won by Tunstall Maid, for which eleven horses started. 

 May 9, at the Newmarket Spring Meeting, carrying 140 

 Ibs., she won the Queen's Plate for mares, defeating Pole- 

 star, 140 Ibs., and Target, 4 years, 121 Ibs. The latter 

 " led to the Bunbury mile-post, where she shut up, and 

 finished a quarter of a mile off; Prioress coming on, 

 defeated Polestar by fifteen lengths." June 2, at the 

 Epsom Summer Meeting, carrying 131 Ibs., she won the 

 Queen's Plate for mares, beating Archduchess, 3 years, 

 98 Ibs., by three lengths; Julie, 3 years, 98 Ibs., a bad 

 third, and three others not placed. July 28, carrying 118 

 Ibs., she ran third to Promised Land, 3 years, 105 Ibs., and 

 Newcastle, 3 years, 105 Ibs., in the Goodwood Cup; and 

 on the following day she again ran third for the Bentinck 

 Memorial Plate, which was won by her stable companion, 

 Starke. In the Cesarewitch, she was sixth in a field of 

 thirty-six. October 24, at the Newmarket Houghton Meet- 

 ing, carrying 101 Ibs., she beat, by twenty lengths, Lord 

 Glasgow's Toxophilite, 4 years, 124 Ibs., generally con- 

 sidered the best horse of his year. The following day she 

 was unplaced for the Cambridgeshire Stakes, won by Red 

 Eagle, and October 28, carrying 126 Ibs , she beat, by six 

 lengths, Lord Glasgow's Maid of Masham filly, 4 years, 

 112 Ibs., and thus closed her third year on the English turf. 



At the Newmarket Spring Meeting, 1860, she challenged 

 for the whip, but the weight carried (140 Ibs.), and the con- 

 dition of her off fore leg, was too much for her, and though 

 she ran with wonderful gameness for three miles, she was 

 forced to succumb to Mr. Merry's Special License. After 

 this race she was sold to Sir Lydston Newman, and with- 

 drawn from the turf for breeding purposes. 



