CHAPTER XVII 



THE HOUSE OF LEXINGTON 



From Lexington and the daughters of Glencoe 

 descended the three horses, Kentucky, Norfolk, 

 and Asteroid, that made such a great stir in the 

 racing world at the close of our Civil War. 

 Kentucky was out of Magnolia, and he was bred 

 at classic Ashland, by John M. Clay, a son of 

 the Great Commoner. Mr. Clay, by the way, 

 was one of the most successful of American 

 breeders. October 6, 1863, Kentucky, then two 

 years old, won his first race at Paterson, New 

 Jersey; and on the 7th of June, 1864, at Pater- 

 son, he lost his first race, being defeated for the 

 Derby sweepstakes, one mile and a half dash, 

 by his half-brother and rival, Norfolk, out of 

 Novice. This defeat led to a long and bitter 

 controversy. Norfolk was taken to California 

 by Mr. Theodore Winters, consequently the two 

 horses never again met on the turf to decide 

 the question of superiority. 

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