CRESCEUS, 2 ; O 2 V 4 



Victor was bred in the Darnaby family, while the 

 dates make the Crusader cross fully allowable. 



Examining this branch of the pedigree we pause 

 first at Allie West. He doubles back to the blood of 

 Alexander's Abdallah. He was by Almont, whose 

 dam was by Mambrino Chief, and his own dam was 

 another Mambrino Chief mare ; so Cresceus's dam gets 

 three direct Mambrino Chief crosses. Another salient 

 feature is the double cross to Downing's Bay Messen- 

 ger, who got both the grandam of Victor and Allie 

 West, crossed on whose daughter, Allie West produced 

 Contention. As Almont's dam was by Pilot, Jr., Cres- 

 ceus also gets a strain of that wonderful blood. So 

 much for the blood in the abstract of Cresceus. Of 

 the horses, his ancestors, volumes have been written. 

 Here, then, but little may be said in review. He is by 

 Robert McGregor, 2:17^, one of the -greatest racing 

 stallions of his day and one of the greatest sires of 

 all times, so far as we may at present judge. He 

 comes in the male line from Hambletonian, the "great 

 fountain head," and through Alexander's Abdallah, 

 who, if judged by the shortness of his career, and the 

 fortuitous circumstances attending it, was probably 

 Hambletonian's best son. 



I have before emphasized the value of his blood and 

 will here quote the verdict of one of the most im- 

 partial trotting essayists concerning him, which was 

 that, "for all the purposes of the trotting sire, for the 

 production of speed in his immediate get, for getting 



