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SKETCH OF TEN BROECK

Ten Broeck, which has achieved so grand a victory over time and succeeded in lowering the four-mile record by three and three-quarter seconds, is a bay horse, foaled in 1872. He was bred by the late John Harper on his farm near Medway, Ky., and on the old man's death Ten Broeck became the property of his nephew, Frank B. Harper. Like Dexter he is very deceptive to the casual observer, but on close examination he is found to measure largely in excess of his appearance, especially round the girth and through the heart. He is very compactly built, which makes him look smaller than he actually is, and like most horses of such a conformation, will carry lots of weight. It is therefore all the more to be regretted that the horse did not carry 108 pounds yesterday, the weight Fellowcraft carried when he ran the four miles at Saratoga in 1874 in 7:19 12. The race yesterday was managed by Mr. Richard Ten Broeck, after whom the colt was named, and the same gentleman owned and managed Lexington when the blind hero ran the famous four-mile race at New-Orleans nearly twenty-two years ago. The achievement of Ten Broeck yesterday in running four miles in 7:15 34 will create a sensation throughout the turf world, and that the colt was capable of such a performance shows a combination of speed and staying power that must be most satisfactory to our breeders. It is but an additional proof that the thoroughbred is not deteriorating in stamina, as your "old-time" turf men assert, because four-mile heats are not found on the racing programmes. Ten Broeck however, has the "sticking blood" in his veins, as he comes from a family renowned for victories. Phaeton, the sire of Ten Broeck, was foaled in 1865 and bred by Mr. J. Johnstone,[1] and was imported to this country by Mr. Ten Broeck. The horse died last year, only ten years old, but left a progeny that is every day adding lustre to his name. Phaeton's sire was the famous stallion King Tom, the favorite of the late Baron Rothschild, and King Tom was by Harkaway, out of that grand old mare Pocahontas, by Glencoe, who was the dam of such horses as Stockwell, Rataplan, Knight of Kars, and Knight of St. George, the latter now being in this country. Phaeton's dam was Merry Sunshine, by Storm, second dam by Falstaff, third dam sister to Pompey, by Emeline, fourth dam Variation, by Bustard, fifth dam Johanna Southcote, by Benningbrough, sixth dam Lavinia, by Pipator, seventh dam by Highflyer, eighth dam by Cardinal Puff, ninth dam by Tatler, tenth dam by Snip,[2] eleventh dam by Godolphin Arabian, twelfth dam by Frampton's Whiteneck, and thirteenth dam by the Pelham Barb. There is no doubt about the purity of this blood, and the early death of such a horse as Phaeton is to be regretted.

The pedigree of Ten Broeck on the dam's side is well known to turfmen in this country, as he was out of Fanny Halton, (the dam of Littleton,) by Lexington, she out of Nantura, (Longfellow's dam,) by Counterplot, known as Brawner's Eclipse, her dam was Quiz, by Bertrand, out of Lady Fortune, by Brimmer, and her dam was the dam of Woodpecker, by imported Buzzard. It is, however, useless to extend the pedigree of Ten Broeck further, as we have gone far enough to show how royally he is bred.

THE GREAT HORSES' PERFORMANCES

Ten Broeck made his début in the Two-year Old Colt Stakes, three-quarters of a mile, at Lexington, Sept. 15, 1874. He ran third to Bill Bruce and Bob Woolley in 1:17. This was his only two-year old race. As a three-year old he started nine times and won five races. He began by winning the Phoenix Hotel Stakes at Lexington, but did not gain a place in the Citizens' Stakes at the same meeting. His next appearance was in the Kentucky Derby, at Louisville, won by Aristides, but was unplaced. At the fall meeting at Lexington he was again unsuccessful in the sweepstakes for three-year olds, but three days afterward he defeated Bob Woolley and others in another sweepstakes of a mile and five furlongs. He then ran second to King Alfonso in the St. Leger at Louisville, but he won the next three races in which he appeared, viz.: The Post Stakes, for all ages, three miles, at Louisville; the Merchants' Post Stake, two-mile heats, at Nashville, and finished up the season in the Maxwell House Stake, mile heats, at the same meeting, which he won in 1:44 and 1:45. This year he has started eight times and has met defeat but once, by Aristides, at Lexington, in the two miles and an eighth, which was run in 3:45 12, the fastest time on record. Ten Broeck was not in condition as he was high in flesh, and his subsequent performances proved he was capable of doing better. Ten Broeck was entered in the cup races here, but he has not yet met true champions of the East. Now that the horse has dethroned Fellowcraft, and is the King, his owner will in all probability retire him from the turf.

  1. maybe Jonnstone (Wikisource contributor note)
  2. maybe Ship (Wikisource contributor note)