The Last Race of Lexington 307 



fectly sound horse. He opened court at the 

 farm of Mr. Harper, at Midway, Kentucky, in 

 that same season of 1855, and covered thirty 

 mares. 



It has just been said that he was retired a 

 sound horse. That it was the intention of Rich- 

 ard Ten Broeck to retire him at that time nobody 

 beheves. Indeed, Richard Ten Broeck many, 

 many years afterward in California said that, if 

 nothing had happened to Lexington, he would 

 have gone to England in the following autumn, 

 there to have been tried against the greatest 

 horses on the other side. 



While he was at Harper's place in the summer 

 of 1855, he was being carried along in training. 

 And right here is a point in the history of Lex- 

 ington which has never been satisfactorily cleared 

 up, and the facts were not known to Mr. Ten 

 Broeck ten years ago. There is a story told that 

 while taking his gallops Lexington escaped from 

 his stable one night, found his way into a field of 

 green corn, and there so gorged himself that he 

 was foundered as a result. 



Unaware of his suffering from overfeeding, he 

 was given a strong trial on a full stomach and 

 lost his eyesight as a consequence. There is still 



