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HENRY CLAY AND HIS HORSES Founder of Ashland Stud Had Many Notable Thoroughbreds Sires of Great American Families FamiliesDescendants Descendants of Margaret MargaretWood Wood and Magnolia NEW YORK X Y May 5 The flags will be flying at Jamaica tomorrow when the season of l2l on tin courses operating under the jurisdic ¬ tion of the Jockey Club will x inaugurated In ¬ terest in racing is exceedingly keen and the out ¬ look for a splendid season of sport was never more promising promisingThe The breeding and racing of the thoroughbred has occupied the attention and been the medium of the keenest enjoyment to the best citizens of the United State ever since tho formation of the republic Since the introduction of the sport into this country there have always been individuals active in racing who would not have followed it with the same zest if the results obtained from the tests on the race course had not pointed the way to success or fail ¬ ure in their breeding experiments With such as these the thrill accompanying the triumph of a colt or filly in whose blood favorite strains have IIHIM blended lias meant a thousand times more than any monetary return and it will IMS an unfortunate day for the turf when this sentiment ceases to exist existAmong Among the earliest of our great men to find peace and tranquillity amid his horses was tLe great commoner Henry Cltiy whose breeding ven ¬ tures began in ISOC at the historic Ashland Stud near Lexington Ky where thoroughbreds of quality have been produced almost continuously ever since It was in a speech in favor of compromise in the period when the United States and Great Britain wer embroiled in the war of ISlt that the eminent statesman showed what was uearest his heart He had been accused of ambition in connection with tin presidency and it was in silencing those wlio advanced the charge that he employed the follow ¬ ing language which gives those of the present day a close insight into the character of the man manI I am no candidate for any office in the gift of the pXople of these states united or separated I never wished I never expected to be Pass the bill tranquilize the country restore confidence in tlie Union anil I am willing to go home to Ash ¬ land and renounce public service forever I should there find in its groves under its similes on its lawns midst my flocks and herds in the bosom of my family sincerity and truth attachment and fidelity and gratitude which I have not always found in the walks of public life lifeAlthough Although Henry Clay never had more than a dozen mares at Ashland that close student and charming writer Andrew Leonard tells in the columns of the Lexington Herald of the tremendous influence of two of them on the thoroughbred families of the present time Those were Margaret Wood and Magnolia which were presented to hiin in 1845 by General Wade Hampton of South Caro ¬ lina and Dr W X Mercer of Louisiana respec ¬ tively Between them they gave the turf twenty five foals Margaret Wood was by Priam Maria West by Marion while Magnolia was a daughter of Glencoe Myrtle by Mameluke Among Mag ¬ nolias children were Kentucky and Gilroy while her descendants include Iroquois Sallie McClelland Panique Blazes Salvidere Uncle and a host of other good ones The descendants of Margaret Wood are equally renowned among them being Day Star Modesty Riley Elizabeth L Ballot Peg Woffington Azrii Ben Brush Broomstick Regret David Garriek AllanaDule Balgowan The Manager Thunderer Exterminator Tryster and Leonardo II IIIt It was at Ashland tliat Henry Clay passed the closing years of his life Ashland became the prop ¬ erty of his son James B Clay and from him It was transferred t tin State of Kentucky for a time during which it was maintained as an agri ¬ cultural and mechanical college It was restored to the Clay family through the instrumentality of Major Henry Clay McDowell whose son Thomas C McDowell is breeding fine horses on it at the present time every one of the dozen mares thereon tracing to either Margaret Wood or Magnolia while the premier sire The Manager lit descended directly from the former through Kracegirdle Peg Wof fington Ballot Balloon and Heraldry Other members of the famous Clay family actively en ¬ gaged in the breeding of thoroughbreds in Ken ¬ tucky arc Thomas J George II and Charles D sons of James B Clay ClayAVIiat AVIiat a wealth of sentiment must be associated with such a breeding establishment as Aslilund rich as it is with the finest traditions and most treasured associations of the great men and horses of the past IM years It is fitting that a filly stake named in honor of the great nursery should be run each year at Lexington and that a trophy should be offered by the master of the fine old place as an incentive for others to keep alive the sort of spirit which made Ashland possible
