DRIVING AND TROTTING 187 



Maud S. lowered the time from 2 min. 12 sec. to 2 min. 

 8^ sec, and from 1880 to 1885 held the record. 



I suppose there are few things in which Cousin Jonathan 

 does not think that he can give John Bull a wrinkle or 

 two. He certainly opened our British eyes, and wiped 

 them too, when he sent the America over to show her 

 heels to the fastest yachts our played-out old country could 

 produce. Then Captain Bogardus came, and beat all our 

 crack pigeon-shots ; and, lastly. Tod Sloan came to teach 

 our jockeys how to ride. Under these circumstances it is 

 soothing to our wounded vanity to realise the fact that 

 time was when John Bull could teach Jonathan a lesson 

 or two in the matter of running horses at any rate. 



Talking about American racehorses reminds me of 

 Diomed, the winner of the first Derby. In the year 

 following that event he started in the principal race at 

 Nottingham with long odds on him, and was beaten by 

 Lord Grosvenor's Fortitude, a far inferior horse. Some 

 nasty remarks were made by the losers on the occasion, 

 and Sir Charles Bunbury quarrelled with and dismissed 

 his jockey. In the same year, however, Diomed was 

 beaten at Newmarket by Colonel O'Kelly's Boudrow, who 

 had come in second to him in the first Derby, and in 

 disgust Sir Charles refused to let him run in 1782. Next 

 year Diomed started seven times, but only won once, and, 

 falling lame, was turned out of training and sent to the 

 stud, where he was the sire of many illustrious horses. In 

 1793 hs was sold for 50 guineas to an American, who 

 shortly after landing him in the States sold him for 

 1000. And Diomed, who lived to the age of 40, 

 became the father of the American Turf; for there is 

 scarcely a famous trotter or racer, from Florida to Maine, 

 that does not trace its descent from the winner of the first 

 Derby. As an instance, Foxhall, who in 1881 won the 

 Grand Prix de Paris, the Cesarewitch, and the Cambridge- 

 shire, was a descendant of the mighty Lexington, one of 

 the progeny of Diomed. 



