5-/ 'The American Thoroughbred 



in fifty-four years to win the Coronation Stakes. at Ascot as well as the Oaks at Epsom, 

 her entire winnings for that season being 20,144. Isonomy was also the sire of Isling- 

 ton, full brother to Isinglass, who stood two seasons in California and got that great 

 handicap horse, Kinley Mack. The fact that Islington was allowed to leave California 

 for the want of patronage does not say much for the intelligence of the breeders 

 in this state. Mr. Haggin has Kinley Mack at his Elmendorf Stud in Kentucky and 

 could have gotten Islington at about one-half of what he paid for his distinguished 

 son. Bruce Lowe was here at the time and he "turned down" Islington, or Mr. 

 Simeon G. Reed would have bought him to replace Martenhurst, who had just died 

 here; and this, too, in the face that Islington was of the No. 3 family, tracing back to 

 the Byerly Turk mare that produced the two True Blues. The daughters of Isonomy 

 are breeding splendidly all over the world and the Oxford line of Birdcatcher is, for the 

 time being, ahead of all others by a broad margin. So far as importations of this line 

 into America are concerned, Topgallant was far-and-away the best son of Sterling ; and 

 Hermence, the only son of Isonomy worthy of any mention whatever, now that Isling- 

 ton has been sent back to England. If Hermence had gotten nothing but Hermis, that 

 alone should be enough to make him world-famous. 



Galopin and St. Simon have occupied the center of the stage for fourteen years out 

 of the past seventeen, St. Simon being premier for nine years, Galopin for three and 

 Persimmon and St. Frusquin for one year each. Galopin is the only sire to head the 

 list at twenty-five years, as against twenty-four for Touchstone and twenty-three for 

 Melbourne ; and now at twenty-three St. Simon is second on the list with more money 

 to his credit than Galopin had in his last year of premiership ; and that, too, with at least 

 six weeks more before the season is finished. The most remarkable part of the whole 

 business is that St. Simon has not a single classic winner to his credit, this year, while 

 the large sum of money written opposite the name of Gallinule is almost exclusively 

 the earnings of his wonderful daughter, Pretty Polly. We had about the same condi- 

 tion of affairs in America in 1893 when Himyar led all other stallions by nearly _$8o,ooo, 

 and it was all due to the winnings of one colt, the big and beautiful Domino, who goes 

 down to history as the only American stallion to get a winner of the Oaks at Epsom. 

 Galopin's success was a very strong argument in favor of in-breeding, for his dam was 

 by Flying Dutchman, a No. 3 horse, out of a No. 3 mare, Merope, by Voltaire. Of 

 course, while the Dutchman and Merope each traced to the Byerly Turk mare that 

 produced the dam of the two True Blues, it must be borne in mind that all other 

 crosses were entirely dissimilar, as was also the case in the pedigree of Chester and 

 Sir Modred, cited by me in the Australian division of this volume. 



Mr. Allison in 1901 gave me his belief that England was virtually at the end of 

 her tether, so far as breeding from Eclipse stallions is concerned. First it was 

 Touchstone on Whisker; next Stockwell (and Rataplan, his brother) on Touchstone; 

 then Newminster and Hermit on Stockwell; then Galopin and St. Simon on Hermit 

 and Lord Clifden, also by Newminster. The male-line of Catton, Muley and Emilius 

 now being wholly extinct, with that of Tramp so weak that it can barely stand alone, 

 there seems to be no other recourse open to British breeders but to go back to Herod's 

 line for sires. Matchenvs line in England has been their only outcross for the last 

 fifteen years, through Barcaldine, Kilwarlin, Morion and Winkfield; and in a list of 

 stallions registered in Mr. Joseph Osborne's book for 1896 I found only three Herod 

 horses out of a total of eighty-seven. That they are already in need of Herod stal- 

 lions in England, cannot be denied, but whence will they be shioped into the Land of 

 Jonbool ? I pause for a reply. 



It will not be long before the answer comes, in my belief. They have good Herod 

 horses in France nobody can deny, but that they have anything as good as our Ham- 

 burg I shall most strenuously deny until positive proof shall have upset my assertions. 

 Nor do I believe there is anything much ahead of Handsel and Handspring. They may 



