Butler, who was a breeder of thoroughbreds, and as she was also a delighted attendant at the races in England and this country, "she knew whereof she spoke."

With one exception (Belmont), the thoroughbred stallions imported in the early days, previous to the sixties, were not of high class. In 1860 Belmont was advertised as "the only tried horse in California, his get having proved good racers. He is the sire of Owen Dale, Bonnie Belle, Langford, Reveillo, Dashaway, Solomon and Leonora." He crossed the plains in 1854, the Williamson brothers bringing him from the "Jersey settlement" in Ohio, and with him came two mares which may be called the best that were brought here up to that time.

One of these mares was Liz Givens by imp. Langford; her dam, and Charlotte Pace by Sir Archy. She was the dam of Bonnie Belle Langford, Gladiator Pele and Error, all by Belmont, and her son Langford was the sire of Thad Stevens, the first California-bred race horse to attract the attention of eastern racing men by defeating two noted racers of Kentucky breeding, Joe Daniels and True Blue, in two races, each of them heats of four miles. The first was run on the Oakland track, October 18, 1873, purse five thousand dollars; six starters. Joe Daniels won the first heat in 7:4212. Thad Stevens the second in 7:30 and the third in 7:43. That still stands as the fastest second heat ever made, and a

There were four starters. Joe Daniels won the first heat, True Blue the second, Thad Stevens the third and fourth. A "glorious victory" for California when two eastern horses of high repute were beaten in a race which, in the olden days, was regarded as the only test which could confer the title of a real race horse upon an aspirant for the highest honors of the turf.

Thad Stevens has also the fastest record for the third, fourth and fifth heats of a mile. Thornhill, a California-bred colt, won the first and second heats in 1:43, 1:43, the others, 1:4312, 1:4612, 1:45. The fastest record at that date for a single mile was 1:4234, the fastest first and second heats 1:4312, 1:432, which will give a better understanding of the merit of the California performance.

The son of Liz Givens, Langford, having been bred and reared in California, and his son, Thad Stevens, also a "native," furnished two generations of California breeding and rearing, which was rare in those days.

The time in which a race is run is an important factor in considering the comparative merit of race horses in this country, while in England it is lightly valued. But from the race courses now being nearly all of them of uniform shape and kept in about the same condition, there is a wide divergence from those of Great Britain which differ so materially from each other that a good performance on one measured by the time made would be inferior on the other. The assumption, however, is that the best on record was made on a fast track and that is a fair way of making the estimate. Thad Stevens while entitled to the fastest record for a second heat of four miles has also the distinction of beating a good eastern horse twice and another of even higher reputation once. Still he had an advantage over his competitors, brought thousands of miles to enter the lists on his native soil. Then comes in the supporting argument that as neither of them had equaled him in speed and endurance when running on race courses at their home the garland fairly belongs to the California representative.

Not many years after the victories just recorded "our colts" crossed the

mountains and big rivers and demonstrated that they were sure enough race horses on all the main battle grounds of the east.

The other mare referred to was Maria Downing by American Eclipse. Her California progeny, Owen Dale, a high-class race horse, was so very good that the noted Tennessee turfman, Balie Peyton, after seeing him run a trial over the Martinez course in heats of two miles, gave Mr. Williamson a certificate in which he noted all the particulars attending the trial, and stated: "This was the fastest trial run that I ever witnessed, and to my knowledge it has never been excelled in the United States." Mr. Peyton also extolled "his superior size, great bone and stamina." Miami, California and Don Victor, daughter and sons of Miami, also gained distinction. on the track and in the stud. Messrs. Williamson also imported Miss Mostyn, the dam of Venture. The blood of Belmont proved to be of great value to California, not only in race horses, as many very fast trotters carry the strain, but were highly valued in the first and succeeding generations for carriage and "general purpose" horses.

The first importations to California of thoroughbreds from England were Lawyer and Faery Queen, which were landed in San Francisco in 1854. Nena Sahib came in 1862 and Hercules in 1863.

General, then Lieutenant, E. E. Beale, bought and brought here from the east the stallion Joseph by Hermes, his dam Patsey Anthony by imp. Priam. Mr. Nathan Coombs of Napa, brought from Kentucky, Ashland by imp. Glencoe, and Billy Cheatham by Cracker, a son of Boston. Jack Hawkins by Boston, Cosmo by imp. Skylark, Rifleman by imp. Glencoe, Belshazzar by imp. Balshazzar, Dashaway by Belmont and some others were also in service in this state previous to 1864. But what may be termed systematic breeding of thoroughbreds had not been inaugurated in California until Theo. Winters of Winters, Nathan Coombs of Napa and John Hall of Alvarado engaged in the business. Mr. Winters purchased Norfolk in St. Louis in 1864. Mr. Coombs had Lodi, Mr. Hall, Woodburn. Norfolk was a great race horse and so was Lodi, but as was

proved by the race when they met on the Ocean View track Norfolk was the best. Hazard was a finely bred horse by Lexington, his dam, Heads-I-Say by imp. Glencoe. Lodi by imp. Yorkshire, his dam Topaz by imp. Glencoe, and Norfolk by Lexington, his dam Novice by imp. Glencoe. Thus all these were from Glencoe mares, and while Topaz was the dam of several fine race horses, Lodi failed in the stud. Yorkshire mares proved valuable broodmares, the stallions inferior. The Lexington-Glencoe was a "happy-nick." Great race horses resulted from the union of these lines of blood.

Norfolk, Asteroid, Kentucky, were the acknowledged champions of the race course, though Norfolk was the only one of the trio to secure sons that were his equal, in fact, his superior when great speed was the gauge. Mr. Winters continued in the business and is still engaged in it-though for a few years past he has transferred the location of his horse-breeding operations from California to Nevada, has made campaigns in the east with great success, and horses

From an old lithograph by Nah! Bros. of his breeding in other hands have sustained the reputation of his stock in all the eastern "racing centers."

While Mr. Hall's operations were on a limited scale, Moss Rose by imp. Knight of St. George was his best mare, and she had four very good performers, Ben Wade, Hardwood, Woodbury and Rosewood, all of them by Woodburn. Peggy Ringgold by Ringgold had the winners Darley, Abi, Lady Washington, Queen Emma and Ironclad, by Woodburn, and Thornhill, already mentioned, with the fastest record up to his time. By the way, the record at this day for that distance is held by a grandson of Thad Stevens, Guido.

The endeavor to bring within reasonable limits the history of the thoroughbred horses of California up to the time when the breeding of them became more general entails a disconnected account, though necessary as an introduction. Subsequent events, those which have occurred since 1870, can be brought into a more symmetrical shape inasmuch as there was steady and continued progress

culminating in the largest establishment in the world for the breeding of thoroughbreds, and several others of large proportions, all of which gained a good place in the histories of the blood horse.

In 1874 I brought to California six thoroughbreds, Hock-Hocking by Ringmaster. Three Cheers by imp. Hurrah, XX (Double Cross) by Malcolm, Craigieburn by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Lady Amanda by imp. Hurrah and Marion by Malcolm. The last named is rated by a majority of turfmen as the best of American broodmares, and as Mr. Winters became her owner in 1875 he had at that time the leading thoroughbred breeding establishment west of Kentucky. En passant, as chess players say, the comparison between the produce of Marion and her sister Roxaline gives powerful support to the claim of the superiority of California as a "race horse region." Marion had thirteen foals, nearly all of them stake winners, among them such celebrities as Duchess of Norfolk, Emperor of Norfolk, The Czar, El Rio Rey and Yo Tambien. Roxaline I was sold to an easterner, and while she gave birth to several fine race horses, Brait, Fred B. and Princess (Princess Louise) which won twenty races when a four-year-old, there is a big gap between the sisters.

The test was in the production of the highest class of race horses, and it is a just conclusion that locality (when thousands of miles separated these brood mares) was a potent factor in establishing the superiority of the progeny of Marion.

I sold Roxaline when a yearling, and she was a remarkably fine filly, there being a striking resemblance to her elder sister.

In 1876 E. J. Baldwin sent an agent to Kentucky, who purchased the stallions Grinstend and Rutherford and seven mares which were the foundation of the celebrated Santa Anita stud. Mr. Coutts of Mayfield, bought Monday and a few mares, which were afterward merged into the thoroughbred department of Palo Alto. Mr. James B. Haggin added thoroughbreds to the Rancho del Paso stud, and when he resolved to enter upon this line of breeding it was soon made apparent that whatever the expense attached to an enterprise of such magnitude as the stocking a farm of over forty thousand acres in California. with the very best animals which could be bought in Australia, England and the eastern and southern states, the outlay would be a secondary consideration.

The Rancho del Paso catalogue, 1903, contains thirty stallions, five hundred and sixty-two broodmares, nearly two thousand thoroughbreds in indices. It could not be otherwise than with capable management and that has been in keeping with the stock. Success should crown the venture and that has also been in accordance with the magnitude of the establishment.

And all of the other California race horse breeding farms have the same result, and that on lines which cannot be ignored, nor even questioned, in performances abroad as well as at home, which subsequent papers will assuredly prove.