Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« […] Having understood that one of the officers of the Club had instiiuted, many years since, a diligent research among the fast perishing sources and documents that threw any liglit upon the early history of our Turf, to gather up, if possible, the fragments that remained, scattered about in all directions, application was made to him for such papers as might be in his possession. Many were placed at our disposal, which, upon examination, were found to supply the very information the Club was desirous to obtain — hence the publication of the present volume.
On perusal, it will be found to contain a mass of information, which not only to our own time, but especially to after ages, will be invaluable, increasing in importance more and more, year after year, as the present generation, reducing in numbers day by day, will soon, in the course of nature, not have one left to tell of the events of the earlier days of the Turf in the present century, to say nothing of the wondrous things recounted by our fathers, as having been done by those who lived in the old time before them.
Without being too elaborate, it is believed that this little work furnishes as complete a history of the South Carolina Jockey Club, and as correct a calendar of Races run under its rules, during a period of one hundred and twenty-two years, as can be compiled under existing circumstances.[…] » Présentation de l’éditeur (1857)