ii6 The American Tboroii^gbbred 



distancing three others. His superiority as a 

 racer was so notorious in Maryland that he was 

 frequently excepted and not permitted to run. 

 In 1768, for the first time, he was beaten by the 

 imported horse Figure. In 1772, when thirteen 

 years old, he ran second to Mr. De Lancey's 

 Nettle, beating the justly celebrated horse Silver- 

 heels (from Virginia), Wildair, and others — four- 

 mile heats. He was never trained afterward. 



Stella was the dam of Dr. Hamilton's mares 

 Primrose and Thistle by his imported horse 

 Dove, and of Harmony by his imported horse 

 Figure. Primrose was a successful racer. Thistle, 

 in 1 769, won a sweepstakes of 60 guineas at An- 

 napolis. Harmony was the fleetest animal of 

 her day, but not remarkable for bottom. 



As has been stated, only the well-to-do people 

 of Maryland were concerned with these early 

 race-horses. Annapolis was the centre of the 

 aristocracy of that state, and it is mentioned in 

 the Catholic CJmrchman of the date of 1 744 that, 

 among the legitimate pastimes of the population 

 which met with the approval of the Church itself, 

 was the new one of racing horses, which had 

 grown to be highly popular among the gentry 

 of the country. It may be noted also, from the 



