igo The American Thoroughbred 



ever charmed the eye. He was i6 hands high, a 

 beautiful gray, with flowing silver mane and tail. 

 He was sired by Woodpecker and he by Bertrand. 

 He was a game and fleet horse and the idol of 

 Kentuckians. 



On the ist of January, 1839, a stake for all 

 ages, four-mile heats, closed with ten subscribers 

 at ^2000 each, half forfeit ; and among the entries 

 were the Louisiana horse Wagner, five years old, 

 and the Kentucky horse Gray Eagle, four years 

 old. The race came off Monday, September 

 30, four only of the nominations starting. 



During the spring and summer the chances 

 of Wagner and Gray Eagle in this stake had 

 been widely canvassed, and the feeling between 

 the partisans of each horse was most intense. 

 For months, all over the South, the coming 

 struggle was the topic of earnest discussion. 

 And on the day of the race a more brilliant 

 assembly was never seen on any course than was 

 gathered at Louisville. The crowd was immense, 

 and the excitement at fever point. 



In that nodding sea of human forms were the 

 blue-eyed belles from the North and the brown- 

 eyed queens of beauty from the South ; were 

 men distinguished at the bar, on the bench, the 



