The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-06-09
GREATEST RACE HORSE
HE UNBEATEN COLIN HEADS LIST
OF THOROUGHBREDS.

Answers to the Question: "What Is
the Best Race Horse Yet Produced
In the United States!" as They
Would Be Given at Different Per-
iOds.
(Clint C. Riley, Editor Daily Racing
Form)
Selections of the greatest American
thoroughbred race horse of all time is
matter of comparing the opinions
of generations and the foundations on
which those opinions were based.
If one of this day could go back sc
years and ask those then competent
to pass upon the question; What is
the best race horse yet produced in
the United States?' the reply would
beyond question be "Timoleon.' Yet
of the thousands in this broad land
who now find pleasure in the various
features of the running turf, precious
few except the delivers in lines of
ancestry know that such a horse as
Timoleon ever existed, best horse of
his time and grandson of the first Ep-
som Derby winner as he was.
Twenty years subsequently the
same query would have elected a
practically unanimous response giving
Boston the place of highest honor
among American thoroughbreds. Bos-
ton was a son of Ti1noleon, and in all
respects wonderful race horse. Com
ing still another 20 years closer to
the present time, Lexington would
have been proudly pointed to as the
Incompatible of the American turf
and there were not lacking those in
his time who pronounced him the
all countries. And it is to be noted
that same Lexington was a son of Bos-
ten, and so a grandson Of Timoleon
Aside from his subsequent superla-
tive merits as sire when sent to
The stud, LeXingtons greatest point
of fame was in having covered four
miles in 7.19 "a at New Orleans in
1854. 1t then was an unprecedented
combination of speed and staying
power, and as such was long discuss
ed and pointed to not only in this
country, but in England as well.
Lexington Traces to DiOmed.
Lexington was a direct descendant
in the male line of Diomed, which
won the first EPSON Derby in 1880,
his line reading from that point;
Diomed, Sir Archy, Timoleon, Boston,
Lexington. When sent to the stud his
success was phenomenal, and 50 years
ago, when he had sent such splendid
sons as Tom Browlng, Kentucky,
Preakness, Harry Bassett, Duke of
Magenta, Kingfsher, Norfolk, Asteroid,
Wanderer, Pat Malloys Jack Malone,
Lightning, Acrobat, and a host of 9TH
ers of great note, to dominate the Am
erican turf, it seemed this male line
must overshadow all others for gen.
erations to come. Yet it has prac-
tically disappeared from the face of
the earth, and there is in this coun-
try today no successful descendant of
Lexington in the male line in the
stud.
Following the decadence of the
house of Diomed came the tribes OF
bennington, Gleneig, Australian Billet
and Bonnie Scotland, all imported
from England These reach down in
to our own days and gave to the Am
er'can turf such brilliant racers as
Longfellow, Enquirer, Postguard,
Kingston, Spendthrift, Sir Dixon, Geo.
Kinney, and Luke Blackburn These
came when the American turf was ex-
panding into great prosperity and
popularity. Then other imported sires
gave us such popular idols as Saliva
tor, Tenny, Potomac, Tournament,
Irish Lad. and Hermis,
Two New Families Arise.
But while these and others famous
in their days were winning that
praise that attends success in the
peaceful warfare of the track two
lines of racers, of American descent
forged into prominence, and by
mighty deeds of speed and endurance
challenged and triumphed over all
competitors and stirred the racing