62 CANADIAN TURF RECOLLECTIONS 



A GOOD PERFORMER THIRTY YEARS AGO. 



I was asked one day which horse I thought was the 

 best general performer on the Canadian turf thirty years 

 ago, and the name Lord Byron by Kentucky — Lady 

 Blessington, came to my mind as the one I thought had 

 a shade the best of it, but my friend, though he remem- 

 bered the horse named, scarcely considered him to be 

 as good as one or two others that were running at the 

 same time. Since the time that I answered the question 

 off hand I have thought the matter over and am still 

 more satisfied that my first impression was correct. I 

 remember back in 1873 seeing Lord Byron start at the 

 London June meeting and win a good race, a dash of 

 one and a half miles, carrying 115 pounds, and beating 

 Neptunus, Judge Durell, Harper, Lottie B. and Puss 

 Harris. Twenty minutes later his owner, James O'Neil, 

 started him in a two-mile dash and won that also, beat- 

 ing Kelso, Longueil and Judge Durell in the order 

 named. On the following day he was again started in 

 a dash of two and a half miles, which he also won, beat- 

 ing Longueil and Judge Durell. This was three races in 

 two days, or a total distance of six miles, and I fail to 

 remember any other horse in the earlier history of the 

 Canadian turf who could show such a creditable record 

 for speed and gameness. He won numerous other good 

 races the same season and finally broke down, if I mistake 

 not, at Carlton. 



As a proof that the old clubs in Ontario were very 

 liberal, considering their means, thirty years ago, I will 

 just quote a programme drafted by the writer for the 

 Barrie Turf Club in May of that year: Hurdle race, 

 $250; Ladies' Purse, $700; Hotel Keepers' Purse, $400; 

 Northern Railway Purse, $500; Canadian Derby, $400 

 added; The Kempenfelt Stake, $500; Lumbermen's 



