American Eclipse
- oil on canvas
- 25 x 30 in
- Edward Troye
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Bred on Long Island New York Eclipse was by Duroc and out of Miller's Damsel by Messenger. Owned by General Nathaniel Coles he was named for the great English champion Eclipse. Racing very sparingly in his career he was purchased at age five by Cornelius Van Ranst. At the age of nine a challenge was issued to race Eclipse who represented the North against five horses from the South in a best two of three four-mile heats. The South's noted horseman William Johnson trained six horses before deciding upon Henry as the challenger while the other horses pulled out. At the Union Course in front of Andrew Jackson Aaron Burr and Vice President Daniel Tompkins on May 27 1823 Henry bested Eclipse in the first heat before Eclipse came back to win the next two in the epic match race. Eclipse retired afterwards having won all eight starts of his career. LiteratureAlexander Mackey-Smith The Race Horses of America 1832-1872 Portraits and Other Paintings by Edward Troye 1982 p. 413 illustrated p. 23 Genevieve Baird Lacer Edward Troye Painter of Thoroughbred Stories 2006 illustrated p. 170