Sumner County, Breeding Centre 1 1 1 



EXPECTATIONS AND REALIZATIONS 



The important place occupied by Sumner County in 

 the estimation of sportsmen of the entire country is well 

 illustrated by a letter written by Balie Peyton from 

 "Station Camp" on July i, 1837, to The Spirit of the 

 Times, in which he said: 



"The sweepstakes to come off over the Gallatin Course at the 

 Fall meeting 1840, 2-mile heats, for $1,000 (each sub.) $250 forfeit, 

 has closed with 23 subscribers. The nominations comprise ten of 

 the get of imp Leviathan, three of imp Luzborough, three of imp 

 Consol, two of imp Merman, one of imp Whale, one of imp Chateau 

 Margaux, one of imp Priam, and two Bertrands. A more promising 

 lot of colts, if we are to judge from their illustrious ancestry, has 

 never been named for any stake, at least upon these waters. Large 

 expectations are entertained. . . . We have in this stake entries 

 of the most splendid turfmen in several of the adjacent states. One 

 and a counter will be from the Old Dominion several from 

 Alabama, Mississippi." 1 



Other evidence without meaning to . say it is all 

 picked up at random is here given: 



All of the six races run at the Nashville spring meeting, 

 1838; four of the five at the Nashville spring meeting, 

 1839; and four of the seven at the Nashville September 

 meeting, 1841, were won by Sumner County horses; most 

 of them wholly, and the others in part, descended from 

 one or more of the foundation sires or dams, or both, 



1 The Barry Sweepstakes for 3-year olds, 2-mile heats, $1,000 

 entrance, $250 forfeit, 23 subscribers, was run at Gallatin Sept. 14, 

 1840. Three started: Thos. Barry's Celerity, by imp Leviathan, 

 dam Patty Puff; G. W. Parker's Flight by imp Leviathan, dam by 

 Sir Charles; and Samuel Ragland's Lady Sherbrooke, by imp Priam, 

 dam an imported mare by Woful. Celerity won the first heat in 

 3:49, but fell in the second and Lady Sherbrooke tumbled over her. 

 Flight then went home and pulled down the $8,000, which was $900 

 more than the " Great Inauguration stake " at the opening of Jerome 

 Park, New York, in October, 1866. 



