CHAPTER VII.

THE AMERICAN RACE HORSE.

Antiquity of American racing—First race course at Hempstead Plain, 1665—Racing in Virginia, 1677—Conditions of early races—Early so-called Arabian importations—The marvelous tradition of Lindsay’s “Arabian”—English race horses first imported about 1750—The old colonial stock as a basis—First American turf literature—Skinner’s _American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine_, 1829—Cadwallader R. Colden’s _Sporting Magazine_, short-lived but valuable—The original _Spirit of the Times—Porter’s Spirit of the Times—Wilkes’ Spirit of the Times_, 1859—Edgar’s Stud Book—Wallace’s Stud Book—Bruce’s Stud Book—Their history, methods and value—Summing up results, showing that success has followed breeding to individuals and families that could run and not to individuals and families that could not run, whatever their blood 90-107