Fashion

Fashion (1837–1860) was a Thoroughbred four-mile (6,400 meter) racemare that defeated Boston and set a record of 7:32½, for that distance, before the American Civil War. Until her meeting with Peytona, Fashion had started 24 times, and won 23 races, 14 of which were of four-mile heats, 6 of 3-mile heats and 3 of 2-mile heats for earnings of $35,600. She was sired by Trustee out of Bonnets o' Blue. Racing career Owned and bred by William Gibbons in Madison, New Jersey (the farm was located on land that today accommodates Drew University), the chestnut Fashion was considered the best race mare of her generation, or any generation that came before her. In 36 starts, Fashion won 32 times and defeated Boston twice. She was sired by Trustee (foaled in Great Britain in 1829) out of Bonnets o' Blue (foaled in 1827 and by Sir Charles by Sir Archy). Trustee was taken out of retirement at the age of twenty to prove to the young folks how good he had been in his racing days. At that age, he ran a four-mile heat in eight minutes flat. Bonnets O'Blue won the National Colt Stakes and a $10,000 match race against Goliah, by Eclipse, over the Union Course in 1831. Her dam was Reality, by Sir Archy, making Bonnets O'Blue inbred to Sir Archy (by Diomed) in the second generation. In Fashion's day, races were four miles (6,400 meters) long and run in grueling heats with each heat usually covering four miles. These races were not contested on tracks; they could be set anywhere the race organizers decided to set them.