314 The American Thoroughbred 



was opened as a race-course during the dark hours. 

 William R. Travers, as president, Charles R. 

 Wheatley, as secretary, and John Morissey, the 

 pugilist Congressman, were the controlling and 

 guiding spirits at Saratoga. Right from its 

 inception, racing at the Spa became exceedingly 

 popular and very fashionable. 



There being so few meetings for the horses in 

 the South, the sons and daughters of Lexington 

 did some of their most brilliant racing around 

 New York. It w^as on the old Centreville, Long 

 Island, Course that Lexington's greatest daughter 

 ran her grandest race and stamped herself as the 

 best animal of her time. 



Idlewild was out of Florine by imported Glen- 

 coe. This daughter of Lexington was foaled in 

 1857. Then in the summer of 1863, in the 

 ownership of Captain Thomas G. Moore, she 

 was brought North to the races. Wherever 

 she could do so, she had met and defeated 

 everything in the South. She was started first 

 in Philadelphia and won a race of character there. 

 Shortly after that, the horses being idle because 

 there were no meetings planned for the vicinity of 

 New York, Captain Moore leased the Centreville 

 Course and gave a three-day entertainment. 



