236 Making the American Thoroughbred 



whom was Col. Wm. R. Johnson, then quite young, who 

 was afterwards known as the "Napoleon of the Turf." 

 Among the celebrated horses trained by Uncle Berry 

 was Marske (Wyllie's), by Diomed, bred by Hugh Wyllie 

 and sold to Hon. John Randolph, for whom Uncle Berry 

 trained him. 



He also trained Ball's Florizel, by far the best and most 

 vicious race horse of his day (if not of any day) in America. 

 The temper of this horse was such that no one except his 

 groom dared to enter his stall, unless he was chained up. 

 Uncle Berry ran Marske successfully, and also won three 

 mile heats with Hyperion, at Broad Rock. 



Mr. Randolph took so much interest in this horse that 

 he often visited the course during his training, and would 

 sit on a horse bucket and pour out volumes of the rarest 

 horse talk. Uncle Berry says he never met any one who 

 knew so much and talked so well about horses. 



Hyperion won his race, 3-mile heats, over the Broad 

 Rock course; Mr. Randolph was delighted, eulogized 

 Uncle Berry and predicted that he would make one of the 

 first trainers in America. He offered Uncle Berry $1,000 

 per annum and offered to furnish him a good house and 

 plenty of servants (of whom he owned hundreds), one 

 half of all he might win, and pledged himself to purchase 

 any horse that he might designate in Virginia, if he would 

 go to his farm, take charge of his extensive stud of thor- 

 oughbreds and train his colts. 



I remarked that it was a most liberal offer and was sur- 

 prised that he did not accept it. 



"Oh, yes," Uncle Berry replied, "I could have made a 

 fortune, but I was afraid of Mr. Randolph; he was given 

 to strange fits of anger. I would as soon have been shut 

 up in the stable with Ball's Florizel, and he unchained, as 

 to have lived on the same farm with Mr. Randolph." 



