A DISTAFF MIRROR
The punning title to this article comes with apologies to Barbara Tuchman, author of “A Distant Mirror,” a riveting study of how history may repeat itself that draws parallels between events of the 14th and 20th centuries. American Standardbred broodmares are likewise important vessels of history. Whereas most equine pedigree studies highlight the contributions of stallions, this article celebrates the distaff side of the story. Whether they were racetrack contenders, broodmares, or both, the mares featured in this article are some of the greatest in the history of American horse breeding.
Rysdyk’s Hambletonian is acknowledged as the chief foundation sire of the American Standardbred because, even before he died in 1876, he was the sire-line ancestor of all successful harness racers. This reflected the fact that his get proved to be speedy and were also primarily trotters---in the 19th century the pace gait was looked down upon, particularly in the northern states, and pacers did not attain much popularity until about 1900. It is also due to
