46 The American Tborougbbred 



Shark was a very distinguished animal — a dark 

 bay. His first appearance in public was in 1794, 

 as a three-year-old, carrying 92 pounds, when 

 he was beaten over the Washington course, 

 near the city of Charleston, South Carolina, for 

 the Jockey Club Purse, three-mile heats, by 

 Dictator, a horse bred by General M'Pherson 

 in 1790. Five started — Dictator, Shark, Mr. 

 M'Pherson's Escape, Mr. Burns's Paragon, and 

 Mr. Hugh Rose's Coquette. Shark won the first 

 heat. Dictator the second and third heats. 



Time : first heat, 6 minutes 34 seconds ; second 

 heat, 5 minutes 58 seconds ; third heat, 6 minutes 

 8 seconds. 



1795, February 11. — Four-mile heats, Wash- 

 ington Course. Shark, as a four-year-old, 106 

 pounds, beat Captain Warren's Echaw. This 

 was on the Wednesday of the race week. On 

 the following Saturday he also won easily, against 

 a good field, the Handicap Race, three-mile heats. 



1797. — Shark, six years old, carrying 129 

 pounds, over the same course, on the Monday 

 preceding the regular race, won a sweepstakes 

 of £1200 sterling, in two-mile heats, beating 

 Colonel Alston's celebrated g. f. Alborac and 

 General Hampton's Hazard. This was a most 



