First Thoroughbreds of the North 137 



in the creation of the American thoroughbred, 

 we might say that Diomed in Virginia, Citizen 

 in CaroHna, SeHma in Maryland, and the Cub 

 Mare and her associates in New York — all 

 animals imported from England — were the strik- 

 ing individuals. 



This portion of the history of the American 

 race-horse may have much of that in it which is 

 weary reading to him who seeks entertainment 

 alone, but without such dissertation upon it no 

 history of our turf could be written and no under- 

 standing of the merits of the great horses which 

 have graced the turf could be arrived at. 



One may turn now to the pleasant duty of 

 showing the thoroughbred in his activities; in 

 other words, of telling the story of the American 

 turf after it became a fixed institution, and when 

 its races were of such character as to attract the 

 attention of the whole world. 



Though the Southerners had long ago begun 

 the making of turf story in their part of the 

 world, and the National Course had been born 

 at Washington, it seems fitting that the first race 

 to which extensive description is given in this 

 volume should be that race which began the 

 series of rivalries between the North and the 



