36 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



having been crippled, could show gi'eat flights of speed — pac- 

 ing quarters in oO seconds. He stands second only to the 

 greatest of trotting sires, although it is not known that he 

 could trot a step, nor that he inherited a drop of trotting 

 blood. For many years he figured as the sire of more trotters 

 than any horse that ever lived, and it was only during 1887, 

 three years before his death, that he yielded the honor to 

 George Wilkes. 



Blue Grrass. The Poa pratensis of botanists, otherwise 

 known as June gi-ass, green meadow grass, common spear 

 grass, smooth-stalked meadow grass. It accommodates itself 

 to a wide range of climate, soil and other conditions, and is 

 found in Great Britain, Asia and Australia. Prof. W. J. Beal, 

 of the Michigan Agricultural College, says, in his " Grasses of 

 North America," that " frequent experiments and careful study 

 by botanists, prove that the Kentucky blue grass and June 

 grass of the Northern States are identical — one and the same. 

 It stands at the head of the list of cultivated grasses, and 

 repeated analyses show it to be nearly twice as nutritious, 

 weight for weight, as timothy ; but it attains its highest lux- 

 uriance and perfection as a pasture grass. It requires about 

 three years to become well established, but makes a firm sod 

 and bears close and heavy grazing." 



Blue Orass Region ; Blue Grass Trotters. Ap- 

 plied to the State of Kentucky, and to Kentucky horses. 



Blue Ribbon of the Turf . The English Derby. The 

 highest honor within the bestowal of the Crown of England 

 is the Knighthood of the Garter, and the insignia of the Gar- 

 ter is a blue ribbon. Noblemen and wealthy or influential 

 commoners have striven their utmost to obtain this crowning 

 honor ; but none of them have used more energy, skill or dar- 

 ing than has been applied during the last thirty years to the 

 winning of the greatest honors of the turf. Admiral Rous, 

 who was president of the Jockey Club from 1848 to 1860, is 

 credited with applying the name " blue ribbon " to the winner 

 of the Derby, and the name was accepted. Mr. Louis Henry 

 Curzon's history of the Derby, published in London in 1890, 

 under the title, " The Blue Ribbon of the Turf," was printed 

 with blue ink. 



ACter the Derby Day, in 1848, Avhicli was Avon by Surplice, formerly 

 owned by L(")rd Charles Bentinck, Lord Beaconsfield— Mr. Benjamin 

 D'Israeli — made celebrated the "superb groan" that esciaped ihe 

 lips of Lord Charles on hearing of the victory of this colt— whicii 

 lie had formerly owned and then so ruefully regretted having 

 parted with, so long had he been eager to win the Derby, whicii 

 honor he never obtained. Beaeonstield was endeavoring to sym- 

 pathize with Lord Bentinck on his sorrow, in the library of 'the 



