INTRODUCTION. 13 



in the mother country, and the stakes contended for being 

 neither so numerous nor so valuable, the prices paid have 

 ranged considerably lower. Nevertheless, the celebrated 

 running stallion Lexington was purchased for S15,000, 

 for stock purposes, by the late Mr. Alexander soon after 

 his wonderful performance at New Orleans, from the 

 effects of which he became blind ; and when remonstrated 

 with by his friends for paying what was then considered an 

 enormous price, Mr. Alexander counted out upon the table 

 $15,001, the price he had just received for Norfolk, a son 

 of Lexington, since valued at $40,000, thus showing tlie 

 judiciousness of his purchase. Kentucky, another son of 

 Lexington, cost his owner, Mr. Leonard W. Jerome, 

 S10,000 ; and Mr. Alexander refused $50,000 for Asteroid, 

 Kentucky's half-brother. Glencoe (imported), Lexington's 

 old antagonist, changed hands at $35,500. Priam, Jr., a 

 descendant of Old Priam, purchased during the war by a 

 member of the Christian Commission when only 9 months 

 old, and sent to Pennsylvania, was sold a few days since for 

 $5000, without any knowledge of his speed and endurance, 

 but on account of his perfection of form and splendid 

 pedigree. His present owner will not take double that 

 amount for him. 



Mr. Bonner has just purchased for $20,000 the trotting 

 stallion Major Winfield, the sire of Commodore Vander- 

 bilt's "Mountain Boy," and "Joe Elliot," who lately 

 trotted a m.ile in 2.19 J. 



