2o6 Making the American Thoroughbred 



appeared to be leaving them, in fact opened a gap of some twenty 

 yards upon them. This was explained by Barney, who chose to re- 

 main where he was, in the beaten path which the horses themselves 

 had made, rather than draw out in the mud, which would throw 

 him still farther behind. As soon as he struck upon the better 

 ground, down the home stretch of the 3d mile, she passed the Sky- 

 lark, and closed most of the gap on Herald, who led until the last 

 quarter stretch of the 4th mile, where Barney repeated his brush, 

 with frightful rapidity, and beat him home by about a length in the 

 clear. The time of the heat was 8:52. 



"Thus ended the race, and thus triumphed the get of Glencoe. 

 The day closed as it opened, and nothing occurred to mar the social 

 harmony. The health and continued prosperity of her owner and 

 the winner, were drunk with ' three times three ' and in honor of the 

 stake and of the gentleman whose name it bore, the gallant filly 

 was named Peytona." 



The Spirit of the Times of March 23, 1839, contains 

 this editorial paragraph: 



"We are desired to state that Col. Watson's nomination (No. 8 

 produce of Giantess and imp Glencoe) was foaled on the 28th Feb. 

 It is a fine filly foal; a chestnut, with a star and no other white: 

 measuring three feet 5! inches." 



The presumption arising from this publication and the 

 official list of entries is that Peytona was foaled in 

 Williamson County, Tennessee, where Thomas Watson 

 conducted a training establishment open to the patron- 

 age of the general public. Tradition among the de- 

 scendants of Thomas Kirkman, however, is to the effect 

 that Peytona was James Jackson's entry and was foaled 

 in Alabama. "Much could be said on both sides." 



Giantess* dam was Virginia, by Sir Archy, and her 

 grandam Virginia, by imp Dare Devil. From Diomed, 

 Sir Archy, Leviathan and Glencoe, Peytona inherited 

 many strains of the best blood ever known in the world; 

 and yet in point of breeding she was but a type of the 

 Tennessee horse of her time. 



