A.E. CAFFEE’S
MUSCATINE COUNTY
HISTORY and DIRECTORY
1876-1877

Pages 3 - 20 submitted by Kitty Root, January 8, 2010

CAFFEE’S HAMBLETONIAN STAR.
Chestnut – Foaled 1871
       Bred in Bourbon County, Kentucky, owned by J. H. Caffee, of Louisville, Ky.; got by Curtis’ Hambletonian (Geo. Martin), dam Fair Star, by Belknap’s American Star; 2d dam by Abdallah. Curtis’ Hambletonian by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian; dam Dolly Martin, by Defiance, son of Mambrino Paymaster, Jr. Belknap’s American Star by Seely’s American Star, dam the Dr. Colden mare, of Messenger blood. Mambrino Paymaster, Jr., by Mambrino Paymaster, dam by Mambrino, Jr., so of Mambrino.
       Hambletonian Star is nine time “in” with Imp. Messenger; four times with Mambrino; twice with Abdallah; once each with Rysdyk’s Hambletonian and American star.

CAFFEE’S HAMBLETONIAN STAR

       Prominent among the rarely bred horses of Kentucky is Mr. J. H Caffee’s stallion “Hambletonian Star,” located at the Greenland Trotting Course, Louisville. In analyzing his pedigree we find the four great and contributing lines represented—Hambletonian, Mambrino, Star, and the blood of the great Abdallah for a foundation, being by Curtis’ Hambletonian, “George Martin,” 1st dam Fair Star, by Belknap’s Star; 2d dam by Abdallah. We would suggest no improvement in the breeding, for his sire, Curtis’ Hambletonian, was, beyond a shadow of doubt, one of the very best stallions that ever graced the breeding interest of that State. He was by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, out of Dolly Martin, by Defiance, son of Mambrino Paymaster, Jr., by Mambrino Paymaster, the sire of Mambrino Chief. Benknap’s Star was by Seely’s American Star out of the Dr. Colden mare, a short-tailed gray mare of extrodinary stamina. (Turf, Field and Farm, March 24, 1876)

CAFFEE’S TROTTING STOCK

These Horses are all registered in the coming American Trotting Stud Book.


No. 1. POLLY HOPKINS.
Bay mare, 15 3/4 hands high.
       Sired by Tornado, “son of American Eclipse,” by Virginian, dam Polly Hopkins. 1st dam, Fanny Canfield, by Henry 11.; 2nd dam, by Bishop’s or imp. Hambletonian, son of Messenger. This mare trotted in 2:47 with a few weeks handling, sustained an injury and put to breeding. For sale. Price, $200.

No. 2. JOSEPHINE.
Bay Mare, 15 ¾ hands high.
       Sired by Solfereno, son of imp. Yorkshire. 1st dam, Corena, by Gazen; 2d dam, Texana, by Sufferer; 3d dam, Rose Bud, by Henry; 4th dam by Cox’s Arabian; 5th dam, Maid of Northampton, by imp. Clifden; 6th dam, Jane Lowndes, by imp. Driver; 7th dam, Modesty, by Hall’s Union; 8th dam, Madge, by Galloway’s Selim; 9th dam, imp. Mare, by Spot. Bred by Samuel Powers of Illinois. Eight years old. In foal by Hambeltonian Star. Price $300.

No. 3. HORTENSE.
Brown filly.
       Sired by imp. Billet. 1st dam, Josephine—No. 2—(full sister to Decatur).

No. 4. LADY FLANDERS.
Bay mare, 15 ¼ hands high.
       Sired by imp. Hurrah. 1st dam, Annie Miller; by Red Eagle; 2d dam Prunella; 3d dam by Consul; 4th dam, imp mare, by Woful; 5th dam, Allegretta, by Trumpeter; 6th dam Young Camilla, by Woodpecker; 7th dam, Camilla, by Trentham; 8th dam, Coquette, by the Compton Barb.

No. 5. HEARTSEASE
Gray mare, 15 ½ hands high.
       Sired by imp. Hurrah. 1st dam, Verbena, by Loyalty; 2d dam, Blondin, by Commodore; 3d dam, Seabird, by Pacific; 4th dam, Kate King, by imp. Priam; 5th dam Pera, by Sultan; 6th dam, Advance, by Pioneer; 7th dam by Buzzard; 8th dam, sister to Champion, by Pot 8 os; 9th dam, Hueamunea by Highflyer; 10th dam, Cypher, by Squirrel; 11th dam, Fribbles, dam by Regulus; 12th dam by Bartlett’s Childers; 13th dam by Honeywood’s Arabian.

No. 6. “DIXIE DAISY.”
Chestnut mare, 15 ¾ hands high.
       Sired by “Comet,” son of Smith Burr. 1st dam, Kyte, by New Jersey, so of Geo. M. Patchen; his dam, Patsy Anthony (thoroughbred), by imp. Priam. This mare can speed a thirty gait, but never trained. But few such mares as this are in the stud. In foal by Hambletonian Star. 7 years old. Bred by S. B. Davis, Wisconsin. Price, $500.

No. 7. KATIE PUTNAM.
Bay mare, 15 ¾ hands high.
       Sired by Skinkel’s Hambletonian, son of Gage’s Logan. Dam a pacing mare. Breeding unknown. This mare can trot in 2:45.

No. 8. LADY BIRD.
Bay filly.
       Sired by Blue Bull (Wilson’s). Dam Katie Putnam (No. 7).

No. 9. KATE HARVEY.
Bay mare, 15 ¼ hands high.
       Sired by Coberg. Dam a thoroughbred mare of Diomede blood. This mare can trot in 2:50. In foal to hambletonian Star. Will foal in September. Price $225.

No. 10. JUNE BUG.
Bay filly.
       Sired by Blue Ball (Wilson’s). Dam Kate Harvey (No. 9). One year old. Price $150.

No. 11. LADY TRUSTEE.
Chestnut mare, 15 hands high.
       Sired by a son of imp. Trustee. Dam a Morgan mare. This mare has trotted in 2:42.

No. 12. BECKY BIRD.
Bay mare, 15 ¾ hands high.
       Sired by Mambrino Chief, Jr., son of Mambrino Chief. 1st dam, Mary Taylor (thoroughbred), by imp. Sovereign, etc. This mare can trot close to 2:40, and very fine.

No. 13. LADY DIAMOND
Bay mare, 161/4 hands high.
       Sired by Diamond, son of Gaines’ Denmark (thoroughbred). 1st dam by Smith’s Highlander; 2d dam by Moody’s Davy Crocket, grandson of Sir Charles.

No. 14. QUEEN OF DIAMONDS.
Bay filly.
       Sired by Hambletonian Margrave, son of Edward Everett (Bonner’s). 1st dam Lady Diamond; 2d dam, by Smith’s Highlander; 3d dam by Moody’s Davy Crocket, grandson of Sir Charles.

No. 15. BILLY WILSON
Roan gelding, 15 ½ hands high.
       Well bred; very stylish and fine; can trot in 1:50. No. 1 gentleman’s road horse. For sale—6 years old.

No. 16. “Small Hope.”
Chestnut gelding.
       Sired by Blue Bull (Wilson’s). 1st dam, Kate Harvey (No. 9); 2d dam, a thoroughbred mare of Diomede blood. For sale—2 years old. $200.

HAMBLETONIAN, MAMBRINO, AND AMERICAN
STAR HORSES AND THEIR RECORDS.

       The once popular fallacy that the exhibition of speed at our county and State fairs was sinful to an intense degree, and deleterious to the morality of our country, has been almost entirely abandoned. The almost unparalleled progress made by the breeders of trotting horses, the great interest exhibited by the non-prejudiced population, and the large remuneration accruing to owners of good horses, have swept away that old prejudice, and placed the matter of FANCY horse breeding on a footing with other industrial enterprises. For the benefit of those who are directly or indirectly interested in this fancy stock, we will review some of the popular families, and the individual merit of a few noted horses. In our humble judgment the descendants of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian have a just right to be placed in the front rank of trotters, though there is nothing in the breeding of Hambletonian to justify their preference over the Messengers, Mambrinos or Abdallahs, as they all descended from a common father, Imported Messenger. Hambletonian may have inherited some very superior qualities from the Charles Kent mare. She was sired by imported Bellfounder, and many well-informed critics doubt if HE possessed any rare merits. But when we hold the progeny of Hambletonian up as models, it should be remembered that he has been crossed with the very best mares and of the most popular families; for instance it has been a popular idea since before the death of Hiram Woodruff that the produce of Hambletonian crossed with American Star mares was the ideal trotter. Dexter, the first great representative of that cross, was undoubtedly the chieftain among trotters. Had he not been CLOISTERED by a selfish old bondholder, who bought him shortly after the sad death of Mr. George Toussell, there is reason to believe that the trotting record would now be even lower than it is. Mr. Hiram Woodruff’s belief was that a Hambletonian sire and American Star dam was probably the best cross to produce speed, endurance and all qualities requisite to the make-up of a trotter. Below we give a list of the most noted Hambletonions, all being sons, grandsons or great grandsons of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian:
Dexter (Star dam) 2:17 ¼
Nettie (Star dam) 2:18
Gazelle 2:21
Jay Gould (Star dam) 2:21 ½
Geo. Wilkes 2:22
Bella (Star dam) 2:22
Young Bruno 2:22 ¾
Lady Banker 2:23
James Howell, Jr. 2:24
Breeze 2:25 ½
Ella Madden 2:26 ½
Small Hopes 2:26 ½
Lottery 2:27
Shark 2:27 ¾
Captain 2:28
Scotland Maid 2:28 ½
Drift 2:29
Bruno 2:29 ½
[The above by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian]  
Goldsmith Maid 2:14
Rosalind 2:21 ¾
Major Edsall 2:29
St. Elmo 2:30
[Sired by Alexander’s Abdallah (Edsall’s Hambletonian), a son
of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian]
 
Gloster 2:17
Bodine 2:19 ¼
Amy 2:22 ¼
Huntress (Star dam) 2:22 ½
St. Julien 2:22 ½
Wm. H. Allen 2:23 ½
Frank Wood (Star dam) 2:24
[Sired by Volunteer, a son of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian.]  
Judge Fullerton 2:18
Mountain Boy 2:20 ¾
Everett Ray 2:25
[Sired by Edward Everett, a son of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian.]  
Music 2:21 ½
Nellie Irvin 2:25
[Sired by Middletown, a son of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian.]  
Kilburn Jim 2:23
Allie Wsest 2:25
[Sired by Almont, by Alex. Abdallah, by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian.]  

       The Mambrinos, descending from Mambino, a son of Imported Messenger, though closely related to the Hambletonians, are very different horses in many of their characteristics. And though the individual cases of merit are not so numerous, there are a number of Mambrinos who stand as peers of the best. Lady Thorne, who commenced her career in 1865, was a fair representative Mambrino, large and powerfully built, and in all of her contests showed great “staying” qualities. For several years she met Goldsmith Maid, American Girl, and Lucy, and was victorious in most of the races. At one time she had the best three heats on record, and it was thought by prominent turfmen that she would be the one to lower Dexter’s record, but unfortunately was rendered unfit for the turf by an injury sustained at Rochester while being put on the cars. The prominent stallions of the Mambrino family who had given luster to the name of the old horse, are as follows: Mambrino Paymaster, Mambrino Chief, Mambrino, Pilot, Mambrino Patchen, Mambrino Gift, Woodford Mambrino, etc. The above stallions are all the getters of trotters, and Mambrino Gift, who has a record of 2:20, stood at the head of the stallion record until lowered by Smuggler. Mambrino Pilot has a record of 2:27 ¾, and Woodford Mambrino made a public trial in 2:20 ¼. Below we give the records of the different Mambrinos as complete as our opportunity admits:

Lady Thorne 2:18 ¼
Mambrino Gift 2:20
Lady Turpin 2:23
Allie West 2:25
Belle Brassfield 2:25 ½
North Star Mambrino 2:26 ½
Rosewood 2:27
Tom Brown 2:27 ½
Lewinski 2:27 ½
Mambrino Pilot 2:27 ¾
Darkness 2:27 ¾
Doble 2:28
John E 2:28 ¾
Bay Henry 2:28 ½
Lady Stout 2:29
Brignoli 2:29 ¾
Governor 2:30
Calmar 2:30

       The American Star horses of today have descended to us through a long line of ancestry. We trace the Stars back to “Fox,” the sire of Imported Messenter’s 4th dam; so here we find an ancient relationship existing between the Stars, and the different illustrious families descended from old Messenger. Fox was the sire of Partner; Partner of Tartar; Tartar of Herod; Herod of Florizel; Florizel of Diomede; Diomede of Duroc; and Duroc of Stockholm’s American Star, the first of that name. And then comes respectively Seely’s American Star, Belknap’s American Star, etc. The Stars are generally conceded to be of too light bone and delicate organization to stand hard track usage, and we find individual cases of superiority less numerous than in other families. But the great merit of this family has been discovered by crossing the mares with Hambletonians and other horses, as before stated.; We give the most prominent of the American Stars, with record, below:
Bonner 2:23
Lady Star 2:24 ½
Brown Dick 2:24 ½
Magnolia 2:20 ¼
Widow Machree 2:29


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Page created by Lynn McCleary on January 8, 2010