Josephine Russell Clay - Racing and Breeding Thoroughbreds

Racing and Breeding Thoroughbreds

The Clay Family invited her and her three surviving daughters to move to Lexington, Kentucky and supervise the household of John Morrison Clay, Henry Clay's youngest son, a bachelor. John had inherited a portion of his father's estate, Ashland. To distinguish John's lands from Ashland proper, which went to his brother James Brown Clay, John's farm was variously called Ashland-on-the-Tates-Creek-Pike, Ashland Stock Farm, and Ashland Stud.

Josephine and John were married in 1866. They had no children, but poured their time and energy into training and racing horses for about twenty years. John Clay traveled the racing circuit throughout the East, South, and Midwest. Josephine ran Ashland Stud. Their famous race horses included Skedaddle, Survivor, Star Davis, Sauce Box, Squeeze 'em, and Victory. In 1873, Victory was bought by General George Armstrong Custer, who called him Vic and rode him at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. It is believed Vic died in the battle.

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