52 CANADIAN TURF RECOLLECTIONS 



A SPLENDID MEETING AT CARLTON PARK IN 



1874. 



Some writers in dealing with the career of the late 

 T. C. Patteson credit him with being the first person to 

 inaugurate racing in this city. Now, while I am desirous 

 of giving every possible credit to a gentleman who was 

 the recognized authority in this country on the history 

 of the thoroughbred horse and was perhaps better posted 

 than any man on the continent on the pedigrees of Eng- 

 lish horses, they are astray in their statements respecting 

 his being the pioneer in flat racing hereabouts. 



Many years before Mr. Patteson took a hand in the 

 game the officers of the Thirtieth Regiment and of the 

 Hussars, then stationed in Toronto, promoted horse rac- 

 ing and several interesting meetings were hold, both on 

 the Bolton course and on the present Newmarket track. 

 Outside of what may be called the military meetings, the 

 writer was the first to endeavor to revive interest in the 

 royal sport among our people. 



He gave a meeting at Carlton Park in 1874 when such 

 purses as these were hung up: For Dominion-bred 

 horses, $400, mile heats, two in three; Flash Stake, 100 

 pounds up, dash of one mile, $250. This was won by 

 Trouble, his first victory, liut he afterwards became the 

 recognized champion steeplechaser of America. Hotel 

 Keepers' Purse, open to all horses, II/4 mile heats, $500; 

 hurdle race, $400, two miles; Toronto Purse, one mile 

 heats, $450; Lambton hurdle race, $350, 21/2 miles; 

 Ladies' Purse, a dash of three-quarter mile, $300; 

 Citizens' Purse, $400, mile heats, two in three; Consola- 

 tion Purse, $200, a dash of 1^4 miles. This is a total of 

 $3,850, and considering the circumstances under which 

 the meeting was given, it was a more hazardous under- 

 taking than it would be to hang up $50,000 at Woodbine 



