Elisha Warfield Jr. (February 5, 1781 – May 15, 1859) was an American medical doctor and a Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder whom Thoroughbred Heritage calls "one of the most important early figures in Kentucky racing and breeding."
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Early life and education
Born in Maryland, Elisha Jr. moved with his family to Lexington, Kentucky when he was nine years old. He was tutored privately and obtained a degree in medicine from Transylvania University.
On January 15, 1805, he married Maria Barr, with whom he had ten children. Their daughter Mary Jane Warfield married Cassius Marcellus Clay, who became a prominent politician and abolitionist in Kentucky.
Warfield became a very successful medical practitioner in Lexington. He was selected as the first Professor of Surgery and Obstetrics at the newly established medical school at Transylvania University.
Active in community development, in 1830 Elisha Warfield was a founding shareholder of the Lexington & Ohio Railway Company. In 1834 it connected Lexington to the state capital of Frankfort, Kentucky.
Thoroughbred horses
Around the time of his marriage, Elisha Warfield began racing and breeding Thoroughbred horses. In 1809 he was one of the founding members of the Lexington Jockey Club, consisting of owners of the racehorses and breeding farms.