APPENDIX. 417 



"vox populi vox Dei." I think then, with most other people 

 who think upon the subjec-i; at all, that the limit of our trotting 

 horses has not been reached, especially in this, their ability to 

 maintain a very high rate over a distance of ground, and vfithout 

 breaking. And I feel quite certain that the number of those who 

 will come so near to the very best rate as to be entitled to a place 

 in the first rank will be much increased. There can be but one 

 beet, many can be near the best — one Napoleon, but many able 

 marshals 1 I purpose now to sketch the marked characteristics 

 and notice the best performances of Lady Thorn, Goldsmith Maid 

 and American Girl, and this will necessarily bring in proper men- 

 tion of George Wilkes, George Palmer, Mountain Boy, Lucy, 

 Judge FuUerton, &c. 



LADY THORN. 

 The famous mare, Lady Thorn, was bred by Mr. Rhodes, of 

 Lexington, Kentucky, and foaled in 1856. Consequently she is 

 now but eighteen years old, and when she was incapacitated from 

 further performances upon the race course by reason of the acci. 

 dent which befell her nearly four years ago, she was just in her 

 mature frame, and in all probability had not quite attained the 

 highest place for which nature had designed her. She was got by ' 

 Mambrino Chief, and her dam was a bloodlike mare by Gano, son 

 of American Eclipse and Betsey Richards by Sir Archy. At one 

 time the granddam was said to have been a daughter of Potomac, 

 but further investigation has shown that this mare was got by a 

 son of the thoroughbred horse Sir William, of Transport, son of 

 Sir Archy and the renowned mare Transport. From this it 

 follows that Lady Thorn is one of the highest-bred, perhaps the 

 very highest, of all the first-class trotters that the American turf 

 has seen. And as she is inbred to two such famous horses as 

 Messenger and Sir Arxjhy, there was reason to expect stoutness 

 and game in an uncommon degree, if she had the gift of speed 

 and could be made steady. There is, however, another account as 

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