Early Thoroughbreds
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Description
Lexington sired more winning horses than any other American Thoroughbred.
Born within what is now the city limits of Lexington, he was bred by Dr. Elisha Warfield. Warfield was an early influential figure in breeding and racing, and his farm, The Meadows, stood adjacent to the Kentucky Association Race Track.
The horse first raced under the name of “Darley” until he was sold to a syndicate led by Richard Ten Broeck in 1853. Broeck renamed the horse “Lexington.”
Lexington stood at the Nantura Stock Farm in Midway before he was sold to Robert Alexander for $15,000 in 1858 — the then highest price ever paid for an American horse.
From Woodburn Stud at Spring Station, Kentucky, Lexington became leading North American sire for 16 years between 1861 and 1878.
He and his father Boston were among the first group of horses inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame in 1955.
The horse remains a symbol of the town of Lexington, which named him the “Official Horse of Bluegrass Country.”
Curation Date
4-2015
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Keywords
Lexington, Horse, Thoroughbred, Pedigree
Photo Source
J. C. Meadors Photographic Collection, Keeneland Library, Lexington, KY