The French 'Thoroughbred 



His dam had already produced Hervine. a great mare in France, but a most unlucky 

 one in the newly invaded country ; and at two years old he was most unpromising, be- 

 ing beaten by a most inferior animal named Alex-y-gainment, that being the only time 

 that he ever lost a race at weight for age. In 1855, being then three, he beat every- 

 thing in France and even crossed over to Belgium, where he won the Continental Derby 

 at Ghent. His victories on his native soil consisted of the following : 



FRANCS. 



Poule d' Essai 6,000 



Ponle des Produits 3,500 



T Prix_djJ Hockey Club 52,000 



Grand St. Leger (Moulins) 9,900 



Total 71,400 



This sum is equal to $14,280 in American money, a sum won by more than fifty 

 second-class horses in America since 1890. After his French victories he crossed 

 the Channel and started in the Stewards Cup (one mile) at Goodwood, in which he 

 was accorded the top-weight of the three-year-olds in that race, but finished nowhere. 

 He was nowhere in the Goodwood Cup, won by Baroncino, also a son of The Emperor. 

 Strange to say, after these impressive defeats in England, Monarque returned to his 

 native soil and actually won three races in one week. Had such a thing occurred 

 where I am writing this, it would have been ascribed to "this glorious climate of 

 California." 



At four years old Ronzi, winner of the French Oaks of the previous year, de- 

 feated him for the Prix de 1'Empereur at Chantilly, being in receipt of ten pounds 

 weight from him, however. Lion, three years old, who had won the French Derby 

 of that year, was third and behind him came Vermeille, by the The Baron, destined in 

 later years to become the dam of such "illustrations" as Vermont, Vertugadin, Ver- 

 dure and Verite. Monarque was sent over to England again, but the best he could 

 do was to get third in both the Goodwood Cup and the Stewards Cup at the sarrie 

 meeting. Then came a change in affairs and in October of that year it was an- 

 nounced that M. D'Aumont had sold all his horses to Comte Frederic de Lagrange. 

 The sale comprised Monarque and Peu d'Espoir, four years'^ Brutus, by Sting, three 

 years; and Mademoiselle de Chantilly, by Gladiator-Maid of Mona, two years. The 

 Comte also secured the services of Tom Jennings as trainer and with Monarque he 

 won the Prix Imperial at the November Paris meeting, beating the only other starter, 

 Valbruant, by Nuncio. The coming year, 1857, was pregnant with miracles for the 

 great French stable, the real backer of which was the son of Hortense Beauharnais. 



Monarque started off to make every race a winning one. He broke off by win- 

 ning, all inside of six weeks, the Prix de Pavilion and Prix des Haras at Chantilly ; the 

 Prix d'Administration and Prix Imperial at Boulogne ; the Prix Imperial at Moulins ; 

 and the Prix Imperial and Grand Prix Imperial at Longchamps. On the same day 

 that Mademoiselle de Chantilly won the French Oaks, Monarque beat Lion with great 

 difficulty by a neck. These two horses met again next week at a difference of ten 

 pounds and the young horse had Monarque beaten about seventy yards from home 

 when he suddenly faltered and Monarque won. Lion pulled up on three legs and it 

 was found he had split a pastern. 



Potocki, by The Baron, won the French Derby of that year and also beat Monarque 

 for the Prix de la Villa, but Monarque was giving the youngster forty-eight pounds, so 

 that did not make Potocki anything great. When midsummer came there was an 

 exodus of French horses to Goodwood, consisting of Monarque, Paladin,' Florin, Po- 

 tocki, Ronzi, Chenette and Mademoiselle de Chantilly. Of these none won a single 



