Evening star., 1941-02-23
old Hickory Felt Angry
When Horse Met Failure
Grant Game Into Conflict
With Police for Violation
OfLocal Racing Law
By John CIaeeh Proctor.

Horse racing and horse breeding
in the District of Columbia go back
a long, long way. Indeed. a notice
was published in Georgetown 81
years before Congress took up It's
residence in the new Capitol, calling
attention to a race to be run on
May 80 of that year, the subscrip-
ton purse to be Is pounds, free
to any horse, mare or gelding, the
best two of three heats of two miles
EACH
1t was further stipulated: eff
rising four years every animal was
to carry stone and pounds,
bride and saddle included; if five
years, stone; if six years, 9 stone
and pounds. and if seven years, 10
stone: an entrance fee of 25S anc
satisfactory vouchers as to age tC
be required. And on the follow
ing day a race for the balance OF
the subscription money and en-
trance fees, free to any horse, mare
or gelding, those running in the
race of the previous day only ex-
cepted" In the second days race
every horse IA hands high was to
carry stone and pounds, bride
and saddle included, and others to
rise or fall according to the rules
of racing. The horses were to be
entered on the day preceding each
race with MeSsrs. Joseph Bell, John
Orme or Cornelius Davies.
On the east side of Rock Greek,
the first race recorded took place
in the spring of 1897 on an oval
shaped track which crossed Penn
sylvania avenue at Seventeenth
street and also at Twentieth street,
the Judges stand being about on the
line of F street between Seven
teenth and Eighteenth streets.
Virginia Horse Won.
This race was between horses
owned by Charles Ridgeley and
John Tayloe and was really to de-
ternine the supremacy of the
Maryland or the Virginia horses.
It was for 500 guineas and was to
be run in four 1-mile heats. The
Virginia horse won. During the au-
tumn of that same year races were
held at the race ground near the
Eastern Branch.
The track, owned by DR.. william
Thornton, the designer of the orig
NAL Capitol. was located between
Fourth and Sixth streets and K and
N streets NV. on the south end
Of what was then jenkins farm.
1t is said the first trotting races
in the citv took place here also.
Christian Hines thought the horses
were trained by Jake Dixon. He
also said:
1T must be borne in mind that
this was before Seventh street was
opened, because Jenkins had his
cornfeld and apple orchard over
portion of that street. There were
then very few houses thereabouts-
perhaps none within quarter of a
mile of the center of the course.
After Jenkins left, the farm was
occupied and cultivated by Mr..
Orr"
About 1910 another track was
constructed on the north side of
Massachusetts avenue between Four
teenth and Sixteenth streets NV,
on the farm of Glen Hill, and per-
haps at an earlier date a track was
built on East Capitol street, which
extended from Fifth to Eleventh
streets. 1t was used mostly as a
training track and was slightly short
Of a mile.
The Glenn Hill track was noted.
according to reports, for bringing
into existence trotting events, or
harness races as against the old
fashioned running races, as harness
races, it is said, followed in many
other sections of the country.
Early Race Track.
One of the earliest and best
known race tracks was Holmead's s
This track was laid out in 1902 by
Col John TaYloe, Gen. John P Van
Ness. Dr.. William Thornton, G. w
Georgetown and George Calvert of
Bladensburg. Speaking of this
course, Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, in a
letter from France, dated April 20
1857. said:
The Washington City race course
was the arena of the most renowned
champions of the turf, owned and
run by gentlemen of education, posi-
tien and opulence, where coaches
and four, as well as equipageS OF
other magnates, gave splendor to
that course. which was often graced
by the several Presidents from JEFF
ferson down to Van Buren,.
Gen. Jackson took the liveliest
interest in its races I recollect 8
colt of his was started for a great
sweepstake, in the name of his pri.
vate secretary, Maj. Donelson, bu
he was beaten by Commodore Stock
tons imported Longford much Il
the chagrin of the old President
who had a genuine taste for sport
This was the scene, too, of tn,
turf eccentricities of DR.. Thornton
remarkable for his humor his be-
nevolence and accomplishments"
Further on, Mr.. Tayloe alludes Il
--the distinguished Gen. Waite
Jones, a rare genius, possessed o