88 The American Thoroughbred 



That horse was Diomed. From the time of 

 his landing, it might be said that the American 

 turf, as American, had its inception. And here it 

 might be made a matter of curious note that the 

 coming of Diomed to this country was almost an 

 accident. Had Colonel Hoomes paid attention 

 to the counsels of his agent in England, or to the 

 friendly advice of horsemen abroad, Diomed would 

 have lived and died in his own land, and we should 

 have missed in ours that great line which has been 

 like a golden stream running down across the 

 green meadows of our breeding paddocks. 



Without Diomed, the most brilliant pages of 

 our turf story could never have been written. 

 Taking him all in all, Diomed, as a progenitor of 

 the American race-horse, stands alone, towering 

 magnificently in accomplishment above all others 

 of his own time, and over those that have come 

 after him, either by importation or home product. 

 He is Diomed, one and kingly. 



The full history of this horse has been clearly 

 and definitely written by the gentleman of Vir- 

 ginia who had the care of him. It is worth the 

 while of your perusal to know the detail of a life 

 lived by an animal whose blood courses through 

 that of almost every thoroughbred upon the 



