The turf history of Carolina began (according to the “South Carolina Gazette,” dated February 1, 1734) in that same year, on the first Tuesday in February.  One of the prizes was a saddle and bridle valued at L20.  The riders were white men and the course was a green at Charleston Neck, near where the lower depot of the South Carolina Railroad now stands.  In a “History of the Turf in South Carolina,” which I found in the library, I learned that Mr. Daniel Ravenel bred fine horses on his plantation, Wantoot, in St. John’s Parish, as early as 1761, that Mr. Frank Huger had imported an Arabian horse, and that many other gentlemen were importing British running horses, and were engaged in breeding.  The book refers to the old York Course, later called the New Market Course.  A long search did not, however, enable me to establish the date on which the Jockey Club was founded.  It was clearly a going institution in 1792, for under date of Wednesday, February 15, in that year, I found the record of a race for the Jockey Club Purse—­“four mile-heats—­weight for age—­won by Mr. Lynch’s Foxhunter, after a well contested race of four heats, beating Mr. Sumter’s Ugly, who won the first heat; Col.  Washington’s Rosetta, who won the second heat; Capt.  Alston’s Betsy Baker,” etc., etc.

The Civil War practically ended the Jockey Club, though a feeble effort was, for a time, made to carry it on.  In 1900 the club properties and the funds remaining in the club treasury were transferred as an endowment to the Charleston Library Society.  The proceeds from this endowment add to the library’s income by about two thousand dollars annually.  Other items of interest in connection with the Carolina Jockey Club are that Episcopal Church conventions used to be held in Charleston during the racing season, so that the attending parsons might take in the races; that the Jockey Club Ball used to be the great ball of the Charleston season, as the second St. Cecilia Ball became later and now is; that the Charleston Club, a most delightful club, founded in 1852, was an outgrowth of the Jockey Club; and that the Jockey Club’s old Sherries, Ports and Madeiras went to New York where they were purchased by Delmonico—­among them a Calderon de la Barca Madeira of 1848, and a Peter Domecq Sherry of 1818.

Mr. S.A.  Nies, one of the old employees of Delmonico’s, tells me that the Calderon de la Barca of the above mentioned year is all gone, but that Delmonico’s still has a few bottles of the same wine of the vintage of 1851.

“This wine,” Mr. Nies said, “is listed on our wine card at $6.00 per bottle.  It is not the best Madeira that we have, although it is a very fine one.  Recently we served a bottle of Thompson’s Auction Madeira, of which the year is not recognizable on the label, but which to my knowledge was an old wine forty years ago.  This wine brought $25.00 a bottle and was worth it.

“The Peter Domecq Sherry of 1818 does not figure on our wine list as we have but a few bottles left.  It is $20.00 a bottle.