The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-15
THE HORSE LEXINGTON.

THE HORSE LEXINGTON.
HIS DEATH-A SKETCH OF THE FAMOUS OLD,
HoRsE-HIs RACES AND HIS OFFSPRING.
The Sentinel on Monday announcedthe
death of Lexington, the famous race horse.
1t is indebted to the Frankfort Yeoman for
the following sketch of the deceased: The
famous race horse, Lexington, died on
Thursday July |, at the Woodburn stud farm
the seat of his owner, A. J. Alexander, in the
18th year of hts age. He had been quite
blind for 20 years, but lie has preserved his
health and vigor until comparatively lately.
Recently he had been complaining seriously,
and his death was not unexpected. Ae was
buried in manner befittiDg his great fame,
in front of the stable which has been his
home for so many years. He stands liking
of the American turf" and sire of more
winners perhaps than any horse in turf his
tory. Lexington was bred by Dr. Wsrfleld,
of Lexington, KY, and foaled in 1850. He
was by Boston, out of Alice Csrneal by
SsrpedoD; dam, Rowena, by Sampler; great
granddam, Lady Gray, by Robin Gray.
Boston was by Hmoleon, out OF Robin
Browns dam, own sister of Tuckahoe and
Revenge, by Florizel. Alice Carneal, Lex
ington's dam, was foaled in Kentucky in
1896, and although she ran second in the
first heat OF a four mile race to Miss Foote in
7:42, being distanced in the second heat, she
never won race. Lexington was first
known on the turf at barley, and under that
name won his first race, three-Year old
stake at the Lexington, KY, May meeting,
1858, mile heats, beating Is opponents. He
was purchased on the evening after this race
by Captain Villa Wiley and Mr.. Ten Brock,
and his name changed to Lexington. AT
the same meeting he won two-mile heat
race for three-year olds, and his owners soon
matched him to run a three-mile race
against the four-year old fly, Sally
Waters, by Glencoe out of Maria Black, for
IS, 500; the hackers of the fily stalking S., 900
70 s., 500 on Lexington. The race occurred
on the Metairie course, New Orleans, De.
cember 2, 1858, and Lexington won distanc-
ing Sally Waters in the second heat. The
time was 6:2S1E, 6:2411, and the track very
heavy. His next engagement was in the
three-year old stake at New Orleans, jan
uary z, 1854, two mile heats; being amiss, he
paid forfeit to Conrad, Corssir, Argent and
Hornpike. The following April, on the same
course, he won for Kentucky the
state post stakes, for all
ages, four mile heats, beating
Lecomte, the representative of Mississippi,
second in both heats, Highlander, Of Ala
bama, and Arrow, of Louisiana. High
lander was distanced in the second and Ar
row in the first heat; time, S:0S3<. :04, and
track heavy. The next meeting Of
LEXINGTON AND LECoMTE
was on April s, over the same track, for the
Jockey Club purse Of 50, 900, four-mile heats,
and here Lexington sustained his only de-
feat, Lecomte winning two straight heats in
the fastest time ever made up to this date,
viz: 1926, 1881. Lexington was second in
both heats, and Reube, third on hrst, was
distanced in the last heat. Notwithstanding
his horses defeat, Ten Brock who pur-
chased Capt. Viley's interest, offered to run
him either against Lecomte's best time or
against Lecomte himself for $50, 900, four
mile heats. Eventually match was made
for $4,000, Lexington to run against the
fastest time at four mileS-tbat is, GecOmte'S
7:26, over the Metairie Course, New Orleans.
This memorable race occurred April 2, 1886,
and Lexington, carrying 1O3 pounds-three
pounds over weight-and ridden by Gilpat-
rick, won in 7:l9A which was never equaled
or beaten until by his son, Fellowcraft,
last year at Saratoga, in 1884. The time
was 1:471<, 1;5214, 1:5lK and 1:4SA-totsl,
Gen. Wells started Lecomte against
Lexington for the Jockey Club
purse of $1,000, with an inside stake of
g 500 a side, four mile heats, April "a, 1855,
on the Metsirie Course, and this time Lex
ington obtained decisive victory over his
old conqueror, winning the heat in 7:23Z,
and galloping over in the second heat, as
Lecomte had been withdrawn. Lexington
soon after broke down, and, being with
drawn from the turf, was purchased by
Robert A. Alexander, of Kentucky, from
Ten Brock for SIS, 900. :. RId1culed for paying
such an extraordinary price, he replied,
60 that the day would come when he would
sell one offspring of the horse they despised
| for more money than he had paid for him."
When, few years later, Lexington's son
Norfolk won the two stakes for three year
olds, at st. Louis, in May, 1864, and the colts
price was asked by Theodore Winters, of
California, Mr.. Alexander replied, Moth
ing less than S15, 0O0." The price was given,
and the Kentucky breeder wss enabled to
congratulate himself. Since that time aI-
other son of Lexington, named Kentucky,
has been sold for $40 900, and double that
amount would not have purchased Tom
Bowling, the greatest of his progeny.
An English medical journal reports the
accomplishment of the feat of numbering
the hairs of the head. 1t announces that
there are from 100000 to 100000 hairs in
lady's head, and then computes their value
by relating an incident which, il says, hap
pened to Madame Nilsson during her resi-
dencein New York City. She was az fancy
|fair, and az admirer asked her the price OF a
Single hair from her head. She said So
''and in a few moments the Swedish song
stress was surrounded by admirers anxious
to buy hair at the same rate.n The pro-