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LEA VES FROM THOROUGHBRED PAST EARLY HISTORY OF LEXINGTON AND WOODBURN FARM FARMTHE THE NOBLE ESTATE OF R A ALEXANDER WHERE WHEREHE HE LIVED BREEDING CONDITIONS FOR THE THEGREAT GREAT HORSE AND MARES OF THE KENTUCKY ESTABLISHMENT In a recent communication to Daily Itacing Form I wrote brieily regarding the early history of Wood burn Farm Spring Station Woodford County Ky the one lireeminent nursery of thoroughbreds whos influence exceeds all others in the history of Americas blood hors As I have in my possession what may possibly be the only existing copy of the first catalogue issued h its founder K Aitcheson Alexander it may be of interest to reproduce some of the data which it o bodies for historically speaking its itsmod value cannot in its own way be surpassed surpassedThe The catalogue in question is an exceedingly quaint and oldfasli mod little pamphlet five and three quarter inches long and three and threequarter inches wide bound in sober drab paper covers of which the front one bears the following legend legendThe The Woodburn Stud Farm Property of U Ailcheson Alexander Near Spring Station P 0 Woodford County Kentucky Spring Station P O Is on the Lexington t Frankfort Kailway Ten Miles from Frankfort Lexington Kentucky Statesman Print ISriT Within the titlepage reproduces this inscription literatim The catalogue itself comprises twentyfour pages of the size aliove noted and laid in at the back is a folded tabulation of the pedigree of Lexington separately printed and gummed in Mr Alexander opens with an introductory statement setting forth his intentions as i breeder in the following terms termsIn In introducing this establishment to the notice of the public I may say that I have been actuated not only by the interest that 1 feel in all sorts of good stock which has induced me to attempt myself the breeding of thoroughbred horses but by the desire of affording those who have tin same taste as myself but are not so advantageously located for the purpose the opportunity of having their breeding stock properly kept keptIt It must be understood that I do not underrate the responsibility of the undertaking nor do I sup ¬ pose that it can be accomplished without both trouble and expense but as I shall endeavor in all cases to have the orders received strictly followed and that no mistake may arise shall expect these orders to be sent in writing with the stock I anticipate no difficulties which cannot be overcome 1 In this establishment mares sent to be bred to the horses belonging to it can be kept for any length of time from a week to a year as may be desired at the rates noted below Should any par ¬ ticular treatment be required causing additional trouble or expense the instructions received shall be strictly followed followedWhere Where required mares and foals shall have a paddock and shed to themselves shall bo grazed and fed according to orders and the foals when left under the care of the manager shall bo wcanid and treated in the manner directed in the letter of instructions received from the owner ownerFor For my own convenience in breeding and with the view of giving every facility to those breeders who are disposed to avail themselves of the opportunity here offered I have purchased of hislato owner Mr TKN PKOKCK the celebrated horse LKXIXCTON and have also imported a young horse SCYTHIAN both of which will serve mares at Woodburn Stud Farm FarmLEXINGTONS LEXINGTONS PRICE AND HIS BREEDING CONDITIONS CONDITIONSAs As Lexington was and in all probability ever will remain the most influential progenitor of thor ¬ oughbreds that America has over produced what his owner has to say of him in his inaugural bid for patronage becomes peculiarly interesting It runs as follows followsOf Of LKNINGTON little need be said as the public are fully aware of his performances as a race horse which render him probably the most remarkable horse of his time ami my strong conviction of his superior merit combining as it does speed and bottom in a most remarkable degree cannot be better illustrated than by stating the fact that I purchased him while in Kngland at a high price 15010 after having seen and inquired into the character and performances of almost every horse of note in that country It may also be observed that the family to which Lexington belongs stands among the lirst in the 1nion for their racing qualities A brief statement of Lexingtons idling follows IJather curiously much more space is devoted to Scythian very likely because he was a newlyimported and untried sire A resume is given of his performances oil the Kiiglish turf where he won about 7000 pounds or 3i 000 his victories including the Kacing and Uoyal Stakes at Coodwood the Chester Cup the Fifth Triennial and Kentinck Memorial Stakes Scythian which was by Orlando Scythia by Hotmail Platoff and foaled in ISM is characterized as descended from the most noted families of Kngland and a short analysis of his bloodHues given givenThe The Terms of Itrecding come next and Lexingtons are as follows LKXINOTON is known as a foal getter and the appearance if his foals of last two seasons being such as to give satisfaction to those who have bred to him he will continue to stand at 100 the season the money due when the mare is served Scythians fee was The additional information was given that mares not proving with foal would be allowed the return privilege the following season free of charge that each stallion was allowed to serve hut a limited number of outside mares and that parties wishing to breed to them should make bookings with the manager Mr Joe Clinton An N 15 requested owners of mares to send their pedigrees with them so that they could be recorded The terms of keep for risiting mares were 0 cents per week if running with other mares from May to November or 1 if fed corn oats and hay dur ¬ ing the winter months the foe was lLTi per week There were other stipulations however which in ¬ cluded two months grazing during the season free of charge to mares from a distance For a sep ¬ arate paddock and shed a charge of r 0 cents additional per week was exacted Continued on second page LEA VES FROM THOROUGHBRED PAST Continued from first page Having disposed of these factors the enumeration of the Brood Mares etc it the Woodburu Farm the Property of R A Alexander follows There were only twentyeight matrons and here Is their list in the order in which they appear appearXo Xo 1 Bay mare the dam of Alaric and Aundal by imp Tranby Lticilla by Trnmpator TrnmpatorXo Xo L Motto chestnut mare the dam of Xannie Lewis Sally Lewis and AVickliffe by imp Bare ¬ foot Lady Tompkins by American Eclipse EclipseXo Xo 3 Sally Shannon bay mare by Woodpecker Darkness Dam by John Richards RichardsXo Xo 4 Chestnut mare the dam of Know Xothing by Medoc dam by Sumter SumterXo Xo i Chestnut mare by American Eclipse dam by AVoodpecker Xo j Sally Ann chestnut mare the dam of Harper and Kate Qiiinir by Imp Trustee Lady Tomp ¬ kins by American Eclipse Xo 7 Pindella chestnut mare by Monmouth Eclipse Pindclls Rattler marc by Rattler RattlerXo Xo S Bay mare by Decatur Minstrel by Medoc MedocXo Xo SI Heta bay marc by Henith Minstrel by Mcdoc McdocXo Xo 10 Mary Buck bay man by American Eclipse liilia by imp Hcdgcford Xo 31 Fanny I by imp Margrave Miss Lanccss by Lance Xo 12 Chestnut marc by Boston Picayune by Mcdoc McdocXo Xo 13 Ducntoon by AVagner Picayune by Mcdoc McdocXo Xo 14 Bertha bay marc by Lieutenant Bassinger Young Meg by Medoc MedocXo Xo li Dolly dark brown mare by Mirabcuu Dolly Thorpe by imp Shakespeare ShakespeareXo Xo Iris gray mare by imp Trustee Miss Eden by Industry Xo 17 Belle Lewis bay mare by imp Glencoe Tranbyanna by imp Tranby TranbyXo Xo IS TcllTale chesnut hipped mare by Telamon dam by Medoc MedocXo Xo 1 Tizzy chestnut full sister to the last by Telamon dam by Mcdoc McdocXo Xo 20 Daylight chestnut mare by imp Glencoe Darkness by Wagner WagnerXo Xo 21 Young Upper by Oliver Clipper by American Eclipse EclipseXo Xo 22 Heads I Say bay mare by imp Glencoe imp Heads or Tails by Lottery Lotteryv v Sally Russell chestnut mare by Boston Maria Russell by Thorntons Rattler Bay Leaf bay mare by imp Yorkshire imp Maria Black by Filho da Puta Miss Lightfoot brown mare by imp Trustee Young Lady Lighffoot by Shark Kate Qiiinn chestnut marc by Wagner Sally Ann by imp Trustee TrusteeXovicc Xovicc bay mare foaled 1S53 by iniy Glcneoe Chloe by Rudolph 8 Little Meg chestnut mare foaled 1ST1 by imp Glencoe Young Meg by Mcdoc McdocOnly Only the ages of the last two mares an given stud as will be observed the colors of several are also omitted In no case does a list of produce appear under any mitre Tin breeding is extended as far as it goes in those eases which the pedigree is a native one in the others as far as to the imported mare to which the line traces tracesFollowing Following the brood mares fifteen lillies are listed from yearlings to threeyearolds duly one is named this being Lightsome chestnut lilly foaled IS by imp Glcncoi1 Levity by imp Trustee There is another threeyearold a chestnut lilly by Wagner Buckeye Lass by Admiral and it brown by imp Yorkshire dam by American Eclipse The twoyearolds number four and art1 chestnut lilly by Wagner Alice Carncal dam of Lexington by imp Sarpedon bay lilly by inip Glencoe Crackers dam by Lance gray filly by Churchill Iris by imp Trustee and bay lilly by imp Glencoe Vandals dam by imp Tranby TranbyThere There are eight yearling fillies ns follows Bay by imp Yorkshire Ducatoon by Wagner chestnut by Brown Dick dam by AVagner bay by imp Glencoe Vandals dam by imp Tranby Lilla chestnut by imp Yorkshire Victoire by imp Margrave bay by Lexington Picayune by Mcdoc bay by Cracker Young Meg by Mcdoc chestnut by Star Davis Pindella by Monmouth Eclipse and Hoe bay by imp GlencoO Hcti by Zenith ZenithGROWTH GROWTH OF WOODBURN AND ITS IMPORTED MARES MARESThe The catalogue ends with the following statement printed upon a page by itself As I propose to follow the plan adopted by some of the English breeders of having an annual sale of young stock the produce of my horses and marcs 1 have thought proper to print the foregoing list of my thoroughbred mares with their pedigrees by which means those disposed to purchase may have full opportunity at their leisure to trace the various families From this modest beginning grew the great establishment to which our modern thoroughbred breed is so inestimably indebted for as we all know our pedigrees arc honeycombed with Lexington crosses and in addition strains of Wooilburn blond are tit be met with continuously in which Lexingtons name does not ligure Tin1 phraseology used by Mr Alexander in his descriptive note about Lexingtons terms of service namely Lexington is known as a foalgetter and the appearance of his foals of last two seasons being such as to give satisfaction to those who have bred to him he will continue to stand at 100 the season might lead to the idea that he had made previous seasons at Woeilbnrn but such was nut the fact Lexington ran his last race in April ISVi and Mr Ten Rroeck then withdrew him from the turf and placed him in the stud at W F Harpers AVoodford County Ky where ho was limited to thirty mares at a fee of 1111 lie made a second season at the same place and under the same terms in ISTiO In June lSi R A Alexander accompanied by Nelson Dudley uf Fayette County Ky went to Ingland to buy and import a stallion Sythian being the selection Richard Ten Iroeck vas at that time in England where he had a racing stable which included the famous Lceomptc Starke Prioress etc and after buying Scythian Mr Alexander bargained with him for Lexington paying him 75UKcasli with as much more to be paid if that horse was still alive when the master of Woddburn reached Amer ¬ ica The season of 1S7T therefore was tin lirst which Lexington made at Wooilburn and its lirst year as a public breeding establishment As everybody knows Lexington spent his entire life there subse ¬ quently ami died there July 1 IN aged twentylive lie was however temporarily scilt o Montgomery 111 in 1SI to Mr Alexanders brothers custody in order to save him from confiscation by the Confeder ¬ ate soldiery then overrunning Kentucky KentuckySo So rapid was the growth of the Wuodhurii Stud that the second catalogue issued that of 1SCO shows the brood mares and lillies to have risen in number from the fortythree of 18 to no fewer than ninety four In the interim Mr Alexander had been busily engaged in picking up the best matrons tu be found having agents on the lookout for them constantly The first one listed in the IStiO catalogue is Alice Carncal the dam of Lexington Ip to this time Mr Alexander was still breeding exclusively with native bied marcs A few seasons later he acquired a small group of English mares that had been imported by the Kentucky Importing Co and these were first bred to Lexington in lSlil They included imp Wcathcr witch by Weatherbit imp Target by Rilleman imp Cairngorm by Cotherstone imp Wenona by The Flying Dutchman imp Eltham Lass by Kingston imp Britannia IV by The Flying Dutchman and imp Clifton Lass by The Cure Several of these importations never produced at AVoodburn but Eltham Lass to the embrace of Lexington brought Kingfisher while AVeatherwitch produced to his cover Florence the dam of Hindoo and granddam of Fircnzc Lexingtons great reputation however was established by his produce Trom Americanbred mares and almost wholly sustained by them especially as is notorious by his foals from the daughters of Glencoe the LexingtoliGlencoe cross having been one of the most successful in the entire range of horse breeding
