The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-29


90 tho court Of Sir Archy Duroc
would have ranked the peer Of that great
son OF England's first Derby winner
What higher compliment could DuroC
legion OF admirers seek than such
favorable comparison 10 the morse tia'
20 whom was conceded. without dispute,
the proud title Of emperor OF American
s;ailions. The American Turf Register.
of October. 1872 describes Duroc as
chestnut horse, without white, nfteen
hards three inches high, OF large bone
very muscular. and OF noble presence
He was bred by Wade Mosby, ESQ., OF
Powhatan county, Va, foaied june =:
1906; sired by imported Diomed' OUT OF
Amanda. by Gray Dionled, next dam 10y
code and she out OF mare by Colonel
Hicjxman's independence. An extended
account Of Diomed was lately given In
these columns so that repetition Is
unnecessary. Duroc's dam, Amanda, was
considered by Mr.. Mosby the finest mare
he had ever seen, which opinion was
concurred in by most OF his frlends anu
acuuafntances She inherited much OF the
great finish OF her sire, Gray Diomed Ga
son of imported Medley, a horse OF the
most exquisite beauty and almost per
feet form. There was finish about MS
head and neck seldom seen on any other
other horse His muzzle was uncommon
iy beautiful and delicate. There was
something about the form OF his neck,
combined with a peculiarly expressive
countenance which never failed to inspire
admiration.
Mr. Mosby states in his certificate as
follows I'm regard to Amanda: About the
year 1904 | was at the Richmond races
and on one Of the days Colonel Hoomes
offered her for sale as a full-bred four
year-old mare, and said she was bred
by neighbor Of his. and sent by MN
for sale. | purchased her for S5V, ana
took her home in the month OF May, ana
subsequently trained her with NUMBER
of nv horses, and among them there
were some good ones. The first time OF
having a brush / was surprised 10 ma
her come in long distance ahead OF them'
/ therefore, paid great attention 10 heT'
and. in the September following, TOOK her
10 Powhatan Courthouse. and there ran
her a first race Of a mile against a
remarkably fast horse for that distance
In which she won $500. having come In
more than one hundred yards ahead.
After this Amanda was taken 70 the
Rroad Rock course, In Chesterfield coun-
" where she met the full strength OF
Virginia in representatives from the sta
bles OF Colonel Tayloe. Colonel Hoomes'
Major William Ball, Mr.. Selden' MT
Wilkes and others AT Broad ROCK she
was started in a four-mile heat race the
field numbering seven Oh the OeS' 40''
in the State.
The race went TO her credit In two
straight heats, all being distanced except
Colonel Hoomes' horse, Whisky. AFTER
the race that astute judge OF running
horses. Colonel Hoomes, offered MT
Nosby the thoroughbred mare Desdemoha
and 81 500 I'm money, which offer was re-
fused. In this race Amanda injured heI
feet. Nevertheless, later in the same
season she was started in a race at FREQ
ericlsburg, and after leading her held
for two miles, the track being very hard
she was drawn on account OF being very
lame. Her next start was at Richmond
where she was entered In a sWeepstahe
against Colonel Tayloe's Topgallant ana
Colonel Selden's Lavinia. The conditions
of the race were that Amandas owner
was 10 pay double entrance fee ana 10
nut I'D $500 that she would beat Lavinia
Though out OF condition, the daughter or
GRAY Diomed beat Colonel Seldens entry
Iavinia, thereby winning the wager
though she finished behind Topgallant
who took the stake. stake was then
made up with five subscribers, as foliows'
Colonel Hoomes named Peacemaker
Colonel Tayloe proposed Topgallant, Colo
mel Selden entered Lavinia. while Amanda
and Major William Balls Florizel made
I'M the balance. The conditions or the
race were 5000 entrance fee, hair forfeit.
Colonel Hoomes paid forfeit and declined
10 start Peacemaker. Amanda was lame
before starting, yet she got second money
the first prize going TO Florizel, Iopgai-
liant and Lavinia being distanced. IN TINS
race Amanda broke down and was taken
ont OF training. The following year, 1906.
she was bred to imported Diomed, and
on June l. 1906, she foaled Duroc after
which she was bred to imported Knows
lev. and a few days prior to her foaling
time she was kicked by horse, which
caused her death. From the foregoing
Il will be noted that Amanda was per-
former OF more than ordinary capacity,
which. combined with her superb indi-
yiduaiity Il is not strange that her union
with Diomed, himself an animal OF grand
presence should have resulted in the pro-
duction of such horses as the subject or
this sketch. Duroc was sold by Mr. MOS
by at Washington, ID. c.. In 1910 TO Bela
Badger, Esq. OF Bristol, Penn. lie ran
a number OF races I'm Virginia, one OF
them four mile heats against Sir Alfred
and two other horses, one or them Colo
mel William r. Johnson's Maria, by Bay
Yankee. The first two heats were dead
between Duroc and Sir Alfred; the latter
won the third, when Duroc was drawn.
Maria took the fourth and fifth heats. the
race going 10 her credit, making con-
test of twenty miles. In the fall or lSlV
Mr.. Badger placed Duroc In training and
ran him four-mile dash over the FAR
view course against Mr.. Bonds noteo
horse. Hampton, In which the latter was
beaten. IL was considered the greatest
race ever run in Pennsylvania up TO that
date. the time being Z SO for the four miles.
In a subsequent race win hampton
Duroc bolted and lost the race. In the
spring of 1913 he made season OF iitty
mares. and in tine following autumn
was trained and run four mile heats over
the New Market course. easily defeating
Pegasus, owned by Mr. Burke. and Vol
unteer. the property OF Mr.. Colt.
In 1914 ne ran against Defiance. owned
by MIR. Van Ranst, and lost the race by
boiling. In this race the pace was very
hot and it was thought he would nave
won but for The vicious habit OF bolting'
which he had contracted through having
teen ridden by a boy unable TO manage
him. consequently he would bolt at times
without any apparent cause. This was
his last start, and his future laurels were
TO be contested for Ina The stud. FROM
the FOREGOING account Of Duroc turf
career, II will be seen that he was per
former OF high merit, possessing the
stamina and speed 10 run fast, and stay
the route in long distance contests. With
limited opportunities he sired some very
high class race-horscs, and many OF the
mast brilliant performers OF the present
day trace directly to him. The most noted
OF his immediate progeny was the cele-
brated race-horse. American Eclipse. who
probably united more valuable qualities
than any horse OF his day. such as ex-
qusite finish, matchiess form. speed and
stamina Duroc also sired Cock of the
Rock and Prospect, both four mile horses.
Roup, Wildair Mountaineer Splendid