The First Race Meetings 25 



chestnut, called Rosetta, by imported Centinel. 

 The latter belonged to Colonel William Wash- 

 ington. Rosetta was nearly sixteen hands high, 

 with a prodigious shoulder. There was a strik- 

 ing unhkeness in these two mares that were, in 

 1 79 1, the figures of the turf of South Carolina. 

 They met with frequency, running against each 

 other with alternate success. Both were retired 

 to the breeding ranks after their turf perform- 

 ances, but neither produced anything to carry 

 on her distinguished name. 



A gentleman, writing fifty years ago of these 

 two then queens of an exceedingly young turf, 

 said of Betsey Baker : *' I was quite young when 

 I witnessed their races, but I recollect the enthu- 

 siasm which prevailed on those occasions. I 

 remember meeting Betsey Baker at the corner 

 of Friend and Tradd streets on her return to 

 Colonel Alston's stables in King Street after 

 having beaten Rosetta in 1791 — a great crowd 

 following her." 



This was the last year of the races over the 

 Newmarket Course. In the following year it was 

 that the South Carolina Jockey Club, which had 

 taken over the Newmarket track, moved to the 

 Washington Course, where it held its race meet- 



