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History of American Thoroughbred Fourth Installment. "Without entering here into a consideration of the effects of weight on speed, the performance of Sclim was certainly remarkable. What is perhaps more remarkable is that there is some considerable difficulty in making out what this horse Selim can be, unless perhaps it be Selim by imported Othello, dam by imported Jolly Roger, grand-dam by imported Silver Eye, and great-granddam an imported thoroughbred mare. The imported horse English Selim was by another Othello, also called Black and All Black, but, as he was not foaled until 1753-54, it is hardly probable that he should have produced a foal so early as 1759, unless he was never trained at all. It is not stated of what color was Selim by imported Othello, but the two Sclims by English Selim are both described as bright bay horses. In the English Stud Book is a Selim, by Bajazet Miss Thigh, 1760, but I cannot find that he was ever imported to America, although he is included in the Stud Book attached to Masons Farrier, no authority given. PROBABLE ANCESTRY. The Grandby in question I presume to have been a bay horse, fifteen hands one inch in height, foaled in 1762, by the imported Bel-size Arabian, dam by Old Shock, granddam an imported mare by Cade, which served in Philadelphia in the year following the race, 1768. If not this horse which must, if it be, have run a five-year-old against Selim aged it must have been Wildmans Granby, by Blank, Old Crab, Cyprus Arab, Commoner, Makeless, Brimmer, Dickey Pierson, Dods-worth Barb, Burton Barb Mare which was foaled in 1759, and would have consequently been eight years old in the year of this race. I presume, however, it is the horse first named which ran -in 1767, as the English Granby one would have expected to tun better unless he were sadly degenerate from his illustrious ancestry. The imported horse Selim is said, by Edgar, to have had that beautiful dark chestnut Selim Selima? as a dam, which brought him to America in her belly and foaled him in 1753. This mare was by the Godolphin Arabian and was foaled by the large Hartley mare in about 1736. There is evidently much confusion and difficulty in all this matter. First, it appears that but one mare named Selima has been imported to America. She by the Godolphin Arab was imported into Maryland by Colonel Tasker about 1750 and, as I have already recorded, was a celebrated winner in 1752. Therefore, she could not have been imported in 1752, with Selim in her belly, nor have foaled him in 1753. DOUBTFUL ANCESTRY OF SELIMA. Again, Colonel Taskers Selima is not de scribed tisually as foaled by the large Hartley mare, which was so distinguished a progenitrix that such a pedigree would not have been overlooked if it could have been made good. Lastly, it does not appear from the English Stud Book, which contains no filly Selima of that date, that the large Hartley mare ever bore a chestnut filly to the Godolphin Arabian. Certainly she did not in 1763 when she brought Hartleys roan stallion to Hip. The stud book shows no chestnut Ally at all in any year nor an filly of Godolphin, except a bay one in 174G. Furthermore, in the stock of Godolphin, recorded at length in "Whites History of the British Turf," there is no chestnut filly recorded by him from any mare, nor any filly foaled by either of the Hartley mares except that named above and Merlins dam, foaled by the little Hartley in 1739. I conclude, therefore, that there is some bad blunder in this pedigree somewhere as, after stating in the first line that he was a dark bay, foaled in 1753, imported in his mothers belly, it states below that he was imported in 1752, the year in which Selima beat Tryall and Jenny Cameron, and thac he was a capital racer and died at twenty-seven years of age. PItOBABLY ALL IMPORTED. It seems to me, taking everything . into consideration, that the odds are that all the four horses in this remarkable race were imported. If this be so, it is not a little remarkable that Mr. Duvall, in his letter quoted, should dwell on the fact that the beaten horses were imported and make no comment on the winner and the third best runner. By the account of the race one is led to suppose that, in this year, 1767, there were regular meetings at Philadelphia, as the term "the Gentlemens Stakes" of one hundred Guineas 00, with a standard of weights, undoubtedly savors of established proceedings and a well-supported race course. To return to the southern states, where, as I have observed, racing first took a firm root among the agricultural gentry who are always more addicted to many and exhilarating exercises, to field sports and to the encouragement of objects not merely utilitarian, we find that in Virginia, Maryland and South Carolina many racing stables were established either previous or immediately stibsequent to the Revolution. Not a few 1 -i of these have survived and were kept by the descendants of the original founders up to the middle of the last century, with equal spirit and success. In Virginia, Colonel John Tayloe, Messrs. Hoomes, Selden and Johnson; in Maryland Governors Ogle, Ridgely, Wright, Lloyd an l Sprigg, who, as it has been remarked, seemed by their practice to acknowledge that the kecpins up of a racing stud was a portion of their gubernatorial duty. In South Carolina Messrs. Hampton, Washington, MePher-son, Alston and Singleton were early patrons of the American turf, as have been th? Queensburys, Rutlands, Wyndhams, Ben-tincks, Fitzwilliams and other equally renowned turf names. From so early a date as that of the ante-revolutionary cracks and champions, such as Celer. Traveller, Yorick. Tryall, Ariel, Partner, Marc Antony, Regulus, Flag of Truce, Goodes Brimmer, Butlers Virginia Nell, Bel Air, Calypso, Gray Diomed, Cincinnatus, Virago, Shark, Black Maria, Leviathan, Gallatin, Fairy, Cup-bearer, Collector. Amanda, Balls Florizel, Post Boy, Oscar, Hickory, Maid of the Oaks, Nonds First Consul, Sir Archy, Potomac, Pacolet, Duroc, Hampton, Tuckahoe and others, the names of which alone would fill a volume, we can easily bring down in this country one uninterrupted and stainless succession of noble racers to the day when the descendants of Sir Archy, that veritable Godolphin Arabian of the turf in America, began to show upon the course. Not inconspicuous in this brilliant history is American Eclipse, which attracted the attention of the whole world, and of the mother country most of all, whence was derived that transcendent stock which in all other countries has degenerated, but in this has continued to rival the honors of its remotest ancestry by the performance of American race horses. The English sires most renowned in post-revolutionary days, until we come to the middle of the nineteenth century, have been : 1. MEDLEY Imported into Virginia in 1783, by Gimcrack, dam Arminda, by Snap-Miss Cleveland, by Regulus; g. gr. dam, Midge, by a son of Bay Bolton; g. g gr dam by Bartletts Childers; g. g. g. gr. dam by Honeywoods Arabian ; g. g. g. g. sr. dam, the dam of the two True Blues. Gimcrack was by Cripple Miss Elliott, by Grisewoods Partner, gr. dam Celia, by Partner, g. gr. dam by Bloody Buttocks, g. g. gr. dam by Greyhound; g. g. g. gr. dam Brockleysby Betty. Cripple was by the Godolphin Arabian-Blossom, by Crab, gr. dam by Childers Miss Belvoir, by Grantham. Medley was one of the best sires ever imported into America. His progeny were Atalanta, Bel Air, Boxer, Calypso, Grey Diomed, Grey Medley, Lamplighter, the Opossum filly Pandora, Quicksilver, Virginia, and others racers in a high form and themselves producers of racers. PEDIGREE OF SHARK. 2. SHARK Foaled in 1771 and imported into Virginia, by Marske. The latters dam was the Snap mare, gr. dam Wags dam, by Marlborough, which had a natural Barb mare as dam. Marske, sire of Eclipse, was by Squirt, dam by Foxcub, gr. dam by Coneyskins, g. gr. dam by Buttons Gray Barb. Squirt was by Bartletts Childers, dam by Snake, gr. dam Hautboy. Marlborough was by the Godolphin Arabian, dam the large Hartley mare. Sharks most distinguished progeny were: Americus, Annetto, Black Maria, dam of Lady Lightfoot ; Opossum, Shark, Virago and many others. 3. DIOMED Foaled in 1777. Imported into Virginia in 1798. He was by Florizel, dam by Spectator, gr. dam by Blank, g. gr. dam by Childers, g. g. gr. dam Miss Belvoir, by Grantham. Florizel was by Herod, dam by Cygnet, gr. dam Cartouch, g. gr. dam Ebony, by Childers, g. g. gr. dam old Ebony Basto mare. Herod was by Tartar Cypron, by Blaze Selima. DIOMED, SIRE OF SIR ARCHY. Diomed is probably the greatest sire of the greatest winning progeny brought into this country at the time. Had he sired none but Sir Archy that renown alone would have been more than enough, for scarce a horse in England, up to that period, unless it be Potto, t had so distinguished himself as a progenitor. I He begot Bolivar, Diana, Dinwiddie, Duroc, Florizel,- Gallatin, Gracchus, Hamiltonian, Hampton, Hornet, King Herod. Lady Chesterfield, Madison, Marske, Nettle-top, Peacemaker, Potomac, Primrose, Sir Archy, Topgallant, Truxton, Virginius, Wonder and many others. Most of the horses named above were the greatest runners of their day and produced the greatest racers and sires at the time. Boston, probably the best horse that ran on American soil during the early history of the American turf, was by Timoleon, grandson of Sir Archy, the best son of Diomed, while Fashion, a mare of great repute, by her dam, Bonnets of Blue, daughter of Reality, was great-granddaughter of the same noble stallion. By her grand-sire. Sir Charles, sire of Bonnets and son of Sir Archy, she was also his great-granddaughter, a second time, in the maternal line. ANCESTRY OF GABRIEL. 4. GABRIEL Foaled in 1790. Imported into Virginia. He was by Dorimant, his dam was the Snap mare, gr. dam by Shepherds Crab, g. gr. dam Miss Meredith, by Cade, g. g. gr. dam Little Hartley mare. Dorimant was by Otho, dam Babranham mare, gr. dam Chiddy, by Hampton Court Arabian Bald Charlotte. The latter was the property of the Duke of Somerset. Otho was by Moses, dam Miss Vernon, by Cade, gr. dam by Partner, g. gr. dam Bloody Buttocks, g. g. gr. dam by Greyhound, g. g. g. gr. dam by Makeless, g. g. g. g. gr. dam by Brimmer, g. g. g. g. g. gr. dam by Places White Turk, g. g. g. g. g. g. gr. dam by Dods-worth, g. g. g. g. g. g. g. gr. dam Laytous violet Barb mare. Moses was by the Chedworth Foxhunter, dam by the Portland Arabian, gr. dam the dam of the Duke of Bridgewaters Star, by Richards Arabian. Gabriel was brought into Virginia and became, like the preceding horses, famous for the splendor of his progeny and their great performances. He sired Oscar, Post Boy and others. Oscars dam was by imported Medley, bred by General Tayloe, and he was Medleys most celebrated son. 5. BEDFORD Foaled in 1792. Imported in Virginia. He was sired by Dungannon Fairy, by Highflier, gr. dam Fairy Queen, by Young Cade, g. gr. dam Rouths Black Eyes, by Crab, g. g. gr. dam the Warlock Galloway, by Bald Galloway, g. g. gj gr. dam by the Byerly Turk. Dungannon was by Eclipse Aspasia, "by Herod, gr. dam Doris, by Blank, g. gr. dam Helen, by Spectator, g. g. gr. dam Daphne, by the Godolphin Arabian, g. g. g. gr. dam by Fox, g. g. g. g. gr. dam by Childers, g. g. g. g. g. gr. dam by Makeless, g. g. g. g. g. g. gr. dam cirter to Honeycomb Punch, by the Taffolet L-arb. The year of Bedfords importation is not exactly known. He was a great stallion and there is hardly a family of horses in the southern states which does not in some degree, more or less, partake of his blood. He was a singularly formed horse a rich bay with a peculiar elevation on his rump, amounting in appearance to an unsightliness, if not an absolute deformity. This mark, known as the Bedford Hump, he has transmitted to his posterity, and, whatever may have been the original opinion as to his beauty, it has been worn by so many celebrated winners that it finally came to be regarded as a foreshadowing of excellence, rather than a deformity. It has been worn by Eclipse, Black Maria, her brother Shark, Boston, Argyle and other horses of great early note. Bedford sired Aeolus, Cup-Bearer, Fairy, Lady Bedford, Lottery, Nancy Air, Shylock and others not inferior in repute. To Be Continued.
