| hbreds are known as "America's Racing Horse". This | | | | Thoroughbreds. He followed the pattern of the |
| breed of horse runs at the race track every single day | | | | General Stud Book producing six volumes of the |
| around the world. | | | | register until 1896 when the project was taken over by |
| History of the Thoroughbred: | | | | The Jockey Club. The integrity of the American Stud |
| This breed of horse was originally bred in England due | | | | Book is the foundation on which all Thoroughbred |
| to the English horsemen's desire to have a fast race | | | | racing in North America Depends. |
| horse. There are three that founded this bloodline | | | | The first publication of the American Stud Book by |
| which are: Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian and Godolphin | | | | The Jockey Club had a foal crop of around 3,000. In |
| Arabian, named after their respective owners, Thomas | | | | 1986 in had grown to an astonish 51,000. Today The |
| Darley, Lord Godolphin and Captain Robert Byerley. All | | | | Jockey Club runs an elaborate new computer |
| of these stallions were imported to England from the | | | | technology to meet the registration challenges posed |
| Mediterranean Middle East between 1670 and 1710. | | | | by the gigantic number of annual registrations. The |
| The result was an animal that could carry weight with | | | | Jockey Club owns and operates one of the most |
| sustained speeds over extended distances. | | | | sophisticated computer operations in the world today, |
| Approximately ninety percent of modern | | | | with its database holding more than 1.8 million horses on |
| thoroughbreds have descended from Eclipse whose | | | | a master pedigree file, with names that trace back to |
| grandsire was Darley Arabian, who was never beaten | | | | the 1800's. This is quite impressive genealogy. As well |
| in eighteen races. | | | | as bloodlines, this computer system also handles daily |
| This began a very selective breeding process which | | | | racing results of every Thoroughbred race in North |
| has been going on for nearly 250 years. Breeding the | | | | America, as well as the ability to process electronically |
| best stallions to the best mares to produce fast race | | | | submitted pedigree and racing data from England, |
| horses, giving them superiority and excellence being | | | | Ireland, France and other leading Thoroughbred |
| established on the race track. | | | | countries. |
| Around the turn of the 1700's, breeding records for | | | | Another descendant of Darley Arabian is Diomed; he |
| Thoroughbreds were sparse and usually incomplete, | | | | won the first running of the Kentucky Derby in 1780. |
| and many times, they would not name a horse until the | | | | When he was twenty one years old he was brought |
| young horse had proven them self worthy. A | | | | to the United States where he produced the male line |
| gentleman named James Weatherby, through his own | | | | through his son, Sir Archie. |
| research and hard work and by the consolidation of | | | | The most world renowned horse race is the Kentucky |
| his own privately kept pedigree records published the | | | | Derby, being the first race of the Triple Crown. The |
| first volume of the General Stud Book. This was done | | | | Preakness and The Belmont follow this historical racing |
| in 1791. The first publication listed 387 mares, each of | | | | event. Thoroughbreds are the horse of choice for |
| which could trace back to Eclipse. The General | | | | track racing. Most thoroughbreds are born between |
| Studbook is still published in England by Weatherby and | | | | January and April, but their official date of birth is |
| Sons, Secretaries to The English Jockey Club. | | | | January 1 of the current year. During their first year of |
| Many years later, as thoroughbred racing proliferated in | | | | growth, they are developing size and power with the |
| North America the need for a pedigree registry for | | | | youngster beginning his training as a yearling. The |
| American Bred Thoroughbreds, similar to the General | | | | horse learns to accept a bridle and a saddle and soon |
| Stud Book became apparent. In 1873, the first | | | | after a rider on his back to break the horse and |
| American Stud Book was published by Colonel | | | | prepare him for the starting gate and the run around |
| Sanders D. Bruce. This man spent almost a lifetime | | | | the track. |
| researching the pedigrees of American | | | | |