RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 249 



One of the sub-families of Messenger's blood, Hambletonian, who 

 united the blood of Messenger and Bellfounder, has raised the trotting 

 torse of America to the highest point of perfection. He was not 

 a handsome horse from a thoroughbred standpoint, if indeed he was 

 thoroughbred, which has been doubted. It has been given as follows : 



Hambletonian was by Abdallah ; he by Mambrina, a son of Messenger. 

 The dam of Abdallah, the mare Amazonia. The dam of Hambletonian 

 by imported Bellfounder ; second dam by Hambletonian ; third dam, 

 fiilvertail, said to have been by imported Messenger. 



In all that constitutes stoutness and ability to perform, in freedom 

 from tendency to disability, his stock has been wonderful. Noted for 

 immense and strong joints, length and strength of bone, magnificent 

 muscular development, prominent, square, massive build, mighty hips 

 and excellent barrel, all knit together to form a most admirable frame. 

 United to a nervous constitution, that reproduced itself in his descendants, 

 in a most wonderful degree. 



One of the finest specimens of the Hambletonian stock is shown on tho 

 preceding plate. This fine horse was by Rysdyk's Hambletonian, by Abdallah, 

 by Mambrino, by Imp. Messenger. Dam Kitt, by Long Island Black Hawk, 

 by Andrew Jackson, by Young Bashaw, by Imported Bashaw. Is half-brother 

 to Dexter, time 2.17^; Nettie, 2.18 ; Jay Gould, 2.211 . Gazelle, 2.21 ; Georg« 

 Wilkes, 2.22 ; Volunteer ( who has eight trotters below 2.25); Edsall's Ham. 

 bletonian ( Sire of Goldsmith Maid, 2.14 ) ; Edward Everett ( Sire of Judge 

 Fullerton, 2.18 ) ; Bruno and Brunette, that trotted double in 2.25^. Foaled 

 1868; bright golden bay; two white feet; star and small stripe on face; black 

 legs, mane and tail ; 15| hands high. A horse of fine finish, and shows his high 

 breeding; remarkably strong and well-backed; thick through the heart; game 

 head ; beautiful, strong eyes, set wide apart ; clean, sinewy limbs, and sound 

 feet ; perfectly sound, excellent constitution, good temper, and very intelligent; 

 a natural trotter, with the big, open, fast, easy, stride of the Hambletonians. 



Of Goldsmith Maid, one of the truly great descendants of this blood, Mr. 

 H. T. Helm, of Chicago, in 1876, wrote as follows: 



GOLDSMITH MAID, 



"The Queen of the Trotting Turf, was foaled in 1857, and is now 

 nineteen years old. She was bred by John D. Decker, of Sussex county, 

 N.J. Her dam was one of those yellow-bay mares so common in the 

 produce of old Abdallah. She was undersized, fretful, and of a nervous 

 temperament, and up to the age of six years had performed no work of 

 any kind, except to run occasional races about and on the farm, for the 

 amusement of the boys. In 1863 she was sold by Mr. Decker for $260 ; 

 the purchaser selling her again, on the same day, to Mr. Tompkins, for 

 $360 , and she was soon afterward bought by Mr. Alden Goldsmith, tot 

 $600. The eye of the practical horseman discovered that she was Tvorth 



