''For the Greek statesman of this name, see''

Timoleon Timoleon ( Greek: Τιμολέων), son of Timodemus, of Corinth (c. 411–337 BC) was a Greek statesman and general. As a brilliant general, a champion of Greece against Carthage, and a fighter against despotism, he is closely connected ...

. Timoleon (foaled in either 1813 or 1814, depending on source*), was a good

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse and was later an important sire.

Background

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 Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. 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 Sir Archy (or Archy, Archie, or Sir Archie; 1805–1833) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse considered one of the best racehorses of his time and later one of the most important sires in American history. He was inducted into the National Muse ...

. Timoleon's dam was the Saltram mare (A24) (1801) by the imported

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

stallion, Saltram, from the Wildair mare (1795) by Syme's Wildair. In 1800, when Saltram was 20 years old he was imported to

, 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 Matchem (1748 – 21 February 1781), sometimes styled as Match 'em, was a Thoroughbred racehorse who had a great influence on the breed, and was the earliest of three 18th century stallions that produced the Thoroughbred sire-lines of today, in ...

Racing record

At three, Timoleon was purchased by William Wynn of

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Econ ...

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".Bloodlines bio
Retrieved 2010-10-2 Of his racing career at age three, it is known that he won the colt purse at Petersburg in straight heats, covering the mile in 1:47 and 1:48, distancing the field in the second heat. Earlier that same day, he had won a half mile match against a Potomac colt. Later that same year, he lost the Post Stake at Petersburg to Reality, winning the first heat in 3:46 before losing the next two "for want of strength in the rider." Timoleon was the "Pride of Virginia." But racing so long ago, the actual statistics on his career on the track are hard to trace. It seems he might have started 15 times and that he won 13 of those starts, which were over the then-usual distances of three or four miles. It also seems he might have won all fifteen if he'd been entered in better form.Baseball Magazine
/ref> 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 Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...

and

Lady Lightfoot {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Lady Lightfoot , image = , caption = , sire = Sir Archy , grandsire = Diomed , dam = Black Maria , damsire = Shark , sex = Filly , foaled = 1812 , country = United States , colour = Brown , breeder ...

, 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 North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. In 1819 he was sold to Colonel David Dancy who took him first to General Hunter's plantation in Madison County,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, and then, in 1829, to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

and one year later, to

Charles City County, Virginia Charles City County is a county located in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated southeast of Richmond and west of Jamestown. It is bounded on the south by the James River and on the east by the Chickahominy River. The a ...

. He stood there for $50, compared to the $75 stud fee for

Leviathan Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...

, then the most expensive stallion standing in America. Timoleon proved to be a good sire, even if only by producing

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

who sired the outstanding sire Lexington. He also sired: * Sally Walker, his best filly, was considered one of the best in her day *

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

who defeated the great

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

* Hotspur, a notable four-mile horse He died in 1836, at the age of 23 years.

Sire line tree

*TimoleonSir Archy
/ref>
/ref>
/ref> **Washington **Marquis **Sir John Falstaff **JacksonJackson Pedigree
/ref> **

Boston
/ref> ***Arrow ***Wade Hampton ***Arlington ***Cost Johnson ***Ringgold ****Woodford ****Ringmaster ****Tipperary *****Aaron Pennington *****

Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvi ...

***Commodore ****Gen. Rosseau ***Red Eye ***Cracker ****Billy Cheatham ****Bruce ***Big Boston ***Jack Hawkins ****Odd Fellow ***Bob Johnson ***Lecomte ****Sherrod ****Umpire *****Not Out *****Decider *** LexingtonLexington
/ref> ****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 Villian *****Aerolite *****Artist *****Asteroid *****Astral *****Ballinkeel *****Ceylon *****Creedmore ****Beacon ****Chesapeake ****

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

****Donerail ****

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

*****Silk Stocking *****Scratch *****Bertram ****Loadstone ****

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

Norfolk
/ref> *****Norfall *****Bradley *****Flood *****Duke of Norfolk *****Prince of Norfolk *****Alta *****Estil *****Ingleside *****Glendair *****Sabrina *****King of Norfolk *****

Emperor of Norfolk Emperor of Norfolk (1885–1907) was a champion American Champion and Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. His large size, strong hindquarters, and racing record earned him the name "California Wonder." Background In the 1870s, when Joseph Cairn ...

*****The Czar *****

El Rio Rey El Rio Rey (foaled January 16, 1887 in California) was an undefeated American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was regarded as the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1889. He was bred and raced by Theodore Winters in whose honor the city of Winter ...

****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 Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

****Merrill ****Norway ****Red Dick ****Watson ****Baywood ****Concord *****Galway ****King Tom *****King George ****Marion *****Logan ****Bayonet ****Crossroads **** General Duke *****Bonnie Duke ****Hazard ****HotspurHotspur Pedigree
/ref> ****Paris ****Pat Malloy *****Ozark *****

Lord Murphy Lord Murphy (1876 – after 1881) was an American thoroughbred racehorse that was bred in Tennessee and is best known for winning the 1879 Kentucky Derby. He was originally named Patmus and was a grandson of Lexington. He descended from the Bye ...

*****Blue Grass *****Bob Miles ****** Manuel *****Favor ****Vauxhall *****Viator ***** Cloverbrook ****Barney Willams ****Chillecothe ****Foster *****Jim Brown ****

Kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

*****King CrabHogan ''Index to Stakes Winners'' p. 608 *****King Cadmus *****Oriole *****Turco *****Prince Royal ****Pilgrim ****

Preakness Preakness may refer to: * The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland * Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables * Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...

*****Fiddler ****Creole Dance ****

Harry Bassett Harry Bassett (1868–1878) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1871 Belmont Stakes and an outstanding racehorse of the 19th century. He also won a number of other stakes races, and was named the Champion male of his age grou ...

Harry Bassett HOF
/ref> *****King Nero *****George McCullough ****Monarchist *****Longfield *****Storey *****Monarch *****Loftin ****Pimlico ****Wanderer ****Tom Bowling *****Black Prince *****General Monroe *****Sligo *****Tacoma ****Acrobat ****Breathitt *****Melikoff ****Jack Boston ****King Bolt ****

Tom Ochiltree Tom Ochiltree (1872–1897), was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1875 Preakness Stakes and several other major stakes. In 1877, he lost in one of the most famous match races of the nineteenth century – a race that had been so ...

Tom Ochiltree
/ref> *****Tattler *****Sluggard *****Cynosure *****Major Domo *****Anecdote ****Charley Howard ****Fiddlesticks ****

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

****Brown Prince *****Shillelagh *****Kilsallaghan ****Frederick the Great **** Duke of MagentaDuke of Magenta
/ref> *****Young Duke *****Leo *****Duke of Kent *****Eric ****Uncas *****

Dunboyne Dunboyne () is a town in Meath, Ireland. It is a commuter town for Dublin. In the 20 years between the 1996 and 2016 censuses, the population of Dunboyne more than doubled from 3,080 to 7,272 inhabitants. Location Dunboyne is centred on the ...

*****Oneko *****Sorceror *****Fake ***Piketon ***Zero ****Judge Leonard

References

{{Reflist * “The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America,” by William H.P. Robertson, Bonanza Books, New York (*Australian Stud Book says 1814. Bloodlines says 1813.)

External links