Timoleon (horse)

A chestnut horse whose only marking was a small white star and standing 15 hands 3 inches high, Timoleon was bred by Benjamin Jones in Greensfield County, Virginia. He was described as "a red sorrel, with a star in his forehead, and no other mark. His limbs are clean and hoofs firm and deep. He is very stout and of great length and remarkable for the proximity of his hips to the point of his shoulder. The bridge of his nose, though bony, is too large for elegance; and his ears, when pricked, are too near a horizontal position agreeable to the notion of beauty; but a better moth, nostril, trottle or eye can't be found on any animal of the species...His form, his appearance, nay, everything about him, evince that he is genuine." He was by one of America's greatest foundation stallions and a National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee, Sir Archy. Timoleon's dam was the Saltram mare (A24) (1801) by the imported British stallion, Saltram, from the Wildair mare (1795) by Syme's Wildair. In 1800, when Saltram was 20 years old he was imported to Virginia, then the heart of Thoroughbred breeding in the United States, by the Virginian "gentleman," William Lightfoot. Through this pedigree Timoleon combined the blood of the three Thoroughbred sirelines: Eclipse, Herod and Matchem. ==Racing record==

At three, Timoleon was purchased by William Wynn of Petersburg, Virginia who seems to have regretted his purchase because Timoleon was rapidly sold on to Robert R. Johnson. Wynn then went through an immediate change of heart. Ten days after selling the horse, he offered to buy him back for a thousand dollars more than his selling price, saying he was, "...superior to any race horse that ever turned a gravel on any race course in the United States". Four of his wins were "walk-overs." In his day if a horse like Timoleon was scheduled to compete but no horse could be found to challenge him, then he (or she) would be allowed to canter the course, winning the purse and the race. It is certain he defeated some of the best horses of his time. He defeated the two best daughters of Sir Archy: Reality and Lady Lightfoot, who were both highly regarded. The only horses that ever beat him were the aforementioned Reality and the highly regarded mare Transport. His final race took place in February 1818. He'd suffered with equine distemper (also called Strangles) a week before, was still entered, but had to be pulled up with respiratory problems, his second and last defeat. ==Stud record==

Timoleon then stood briefly at stud at the farm of Johnson and Wynn's stables in North Carolina. In 1819 he was sold to Colonel David Dancy who took him first to General Hunter's plantation in Madison County, Alabama, and then, in 1829, to Nashville, Tennessee and one year later, to Charles City County, Virginia. He stood there for $50, compared to the $75 stud fee for Leviathan, then the most expensive stallion standing in America. Timoleon proved to be a good sire, even if only by producing Boston who sired the outstanding sire Lexington. He also sired: • Sally Walker, his best filly, was considered one of the best in her day • Washington who defeated the great Henry • Hotspur, a notable four-mile horse He was also an influential sire in the development of the American Quarter Horse breed, as one of his descendants was American Quarter Horse foundation sire Steel Dust. He died in 1836, at the age of 23 years. ==Sire line tree==

• Timoleon • Washington • Marquis • Sir John Falstaff • Hotspur • Jackson • Boston • Arlington • Cost Johnson • Ringgold • Woodford • Ringmaster • Tipperary • Aaron Pennington • Sherrod • Umpire • Not Out • Decider • Piketon • Zero • Judge Leonard • Lexington • Daniel Boone • Cottrill • Goodwood • Colton • Monday • Lightning • D'Artagnan • Optomist • Mars • Osman • Uncle Vic • Victory • Harry Edwards • Uncle Tom • Bulletin • Jack Malone • Chickamauga • Muggins • Camargo • Damon • Bazar • Lexington (Embry) • Thunder • Avalanche • Censor • Frank Boston • Harper • Bay Jack • Jim Sherwood • Dan Heaney • Lexington (Hunter) • Joe Johnson • Judge Wickliffe • War Dance • Ramadan • Wheatly • St George • Big Fellow • Monmouth • Stampede • Bullion • Chance • Union Jack • Copec • Rogers • Asteroid • George Wilkes • Harvey Villain • Aerolite • Artist • Asteroid • Astral • Ballinkeel • Ceylon • Creedmore • Beacon • Chesapeake • Cincinnati • Donerail • Kentucky • Silk Stocking • Scratch • Bertram • Loadstone • Norfolk • Norfall • Bradley • Flood • Duke of Norfolk • Prince of Norfolk • Alta • Estil • Emperor of Norfolk • The Czar • Ulverston • Keene Richards • Woodburn • Hardwood • Ansel • Bay Dick • Gilroy • Grinstead • John M Clay • Harry of the West • Luther • Sharpcatcher • Veto • Edinborough • Jonesboro • King Lear • Lee Paul • Lever • Leveller • Apollo • Merrill • Norway • Red Dick • Watson • Baywood • Concord • Galway • King Tom • King George • Marion • Logan • Newry • Blue Grass • Bob Miles • Favor • Vauxhall • Viator • Cloverbrook • Barney Willams • Chillecothe • Foster • Jim Brown • Kingfisher • Turco • Prince Royal • Pilgrim • Preakness • Fiddler • Creole Dance • Harry Bassett • George McCullough • King Nero • Monarchist • Longfield • Storey • Monarch • Loftin • Pimlico • Wanderer • Tom Bowling • Black Prince • General Monroe • Sligo • Tacoma • Acrobat • Breathitt • Melikoff • Jack Boston • King Bolt • Tom Ochiltree • Tattler • Cynosure • Major Domo • Sluggard • Charley Howard • Fiddlesticks • Shirley • Brown Prince • Shillelagh • Kilsallaghan • Frederick the Great • Duke of Magenta • Leo • Young Duke • Duke of Kent • Eric • Uncas • Dunboyne • Oneko • Sorcerer • Fake ==Pedigree==