The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-24

The last of the sectional match races
on the American turf was run at LOUIS
vile on July 4, 1873, between Ten
Brocck. ono of Kcntucky's greatest
horses, and Mollie Mccarthy, the pride
of the Pacific coast. The rain and
muddy track almost made the race
Gasco. but the interest was as keen as
n had ever been in one of the old-tlme
match races. The Eastern men object 10
match races, because they are sure 10
nnpender ouarrels and bad blood, ana
~ae;ns men have enough TO contend
with from the outside without split
ting UP in internal dissensions.
The racecourse at Saratoga was laid
ont in 1868. William Travers being the
leading spirit. In 1880 Jerome Park
gave way TO Sheepshend Bay and
Brighton Beach, and tho new era OF
metropolitan racing was born. In 1889
the first Suburban at Sheepshead BAY
was captured by General Monroe. ana IN
1883 the first Euturity was won by
Proctor Knott, with Salvador second
The Suburban is the only great event
If the New York racecourses which has
remained unchanged from the first, no
alterations in distances or conditions
having been made
The effect s the American love for
horse racing upon the horses of the
country has been marvellous. The rae
Jug thoroughbreds and the standard
bred harness horses have been improved
from year to year, and with their lm-
provement and development the do
inestic horse has been brought TO n
state of perfection not dreamed of in
the days gone by. In the Civil war the
superiority OF the cavalry from Vir-
ginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, re.
sponsiblc for the fame Of Forrest and
Stuart and Morgan, has been universally
credited in large part TO the blooded
equipped Even tho Kentucky and Mis-
souri, mule owes his superiority To the
line of thoroughbred dams from whence
he sprang,
While breeding forms that produce
great horses are TO be found in many
parts of the Union, particularly IN New
York. Pennsylvania, California and Ten
ncssce, the commonwealth of Kentucky
leads the world in the number of breed.
ing establishments and IN the high class
II their product. In Kentucky, Wood
ford county leads all the others. In,
Iced. the history of the horse cannot be
written if Woodford county be left out,
with its great names of Alexander, Har-
per, Buford, Blackburn. Swigert and
kinkead. In neighboring counties there
are the mighty seats of the families Of
blooded horses known by the names of
McGrath, Haggin, Whitney, Belmont,
keene, and others of their kind. Lex
ington, in Fayctte county, is the metrop.
oils of the blue grass and the capital
Of the realm Of the thoroughbred, The
Blue Grass country comprises about
100 square miles of territory, rolling
country covered with the very king of
grasses.
OF It's stock farms, Woodburn county
is perhaps the most famous. For more
than century the Alexander family
bred the finest horses to be found in the
land. The original Alexander was IA
friend and protege of Benjamin Frank
lin. The farm was bought from General
Hugh Mercer of Revolutionary fame. in
1890. The place originally included
200 acres, but it has been increased
now TO 5000 acres, all OF which is
brought TO the perfection of an Italian
garden by intelligent care and improve
ment. From here came the mighty Fox
hall, winner of two of tho English
classic races, also the Partisan Grand
prix. Woodburn was also the home of
the mighty Lexington, who held the
four. mile record for nineteen years, and
whose descendants stood at the head
of the list OF winners for seven con-
secutive years. record never before
or since touched, From Woodburn came
also the great trotting mare, Maud s,
whose record was the unattainable goal
Of all trotters for many years, and
which would have doubtless remained
the top notch, except for the improved
condition in sulkles and race-tracks.
Adjoining Woodburn is the Harper
place, founded by three brothers, John,
Jacob, and Adam Harper. From them
il came to Frank b. Harper, who died
recently at an advanced age. Adam
Harper was killed by guerrillas during
the Civil war, and Jacob and an aged
sister were murdered in their beds one