The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-13
Horse Racing in Amorica-The Past, Pre-
sent and Future.


sent and Future.
Horse racing in the South in the youthful
days Of the republic was pastime solely con-
fined to gentlemen Of the highest standing in
the land, and George Washington himself
could not be excelled in his love for
fine horse by any of our modern turfmen.
In the Northern States such names as those Of
Livingston, Gibbons, Jones, Cole, King, Robert
L. Stevens and John G. Stevens were asso-
ciated with the breeding and running Of
horses With the decease of these public-
spirited gentlemen the running race course
fell into disuse, and sad days came for the
American turf.
From 1874 to 1854 horse racing, as a nationa,
sport in the North, had reached its lowest
stage of decrepitude, and then what the Yam
KEGS would call "splurge" was made in tho
opening of the National Course in 1854. now
known as the Fashion Course. Then tina
backbone fell out of this attempt, and for
another decade Of years, until 1864 horse
racing languished and was almost diving ont
of the land, when it suddenly sprung into
fresh, vigorous and beautiful life under tho
fostering care OF gentlemen of wealth and
position, like Jerome, Belmont, Travers.
Purdy, Cameron, Forbes, Withers, Dun
can, Sanford, Hunter, Morris and others.
whose efforts have been crowned with most
signal success Until the gentlemen to
whom we have referred took the matter
in hand racing by the Northern States, even
more than in the South, had been entirely
unfit places for ladies to be seen at. Racing
is essentially and to all purposes an aristo-
cratic sport, and none but those who have
ample means and hours of leisure can afford to
NEEDLE in turf matters. The formation of the
American Jockey Club lifted the sport with
sudden and energetic power into its present
popularity. The Southern, gentleman always
had been in the habit of taking the ladies' OF
his family to the race course, but they had not
the great and promiscuous crowds Of our
Northern cities to face at their racing resorts.
The grounds of the American Jockey Club are
now patronized for the social reunions of the
best class of society as well as for the gallant
contests of the horses there encountered. The
elegant and comfortable appointments OF the
grounds and buildings draw large assem-
blages of well-bred and refined ladies, glorious
in their toilets as the lilies of Solomon
When the fair sex can be congregated
together in large numbers to witness any open
air sport, then that sport must of a certainty
be success, and we believe that the mascu-
line bosoms of the Sorosis might be made to
thrill with delight could they spare day
from the suffrage movement to witness good
four mile heat race. And there can be no
valid reason why ladies should not enjoy the
pleasures Of horse racing The tournaments
of the middle ages, when men dashed at each
other clad in armor, and the brutal bull fights
of the Iberian races were always well patro-
nized by them; and at a remoter period, when
the dying gladiator, rolling in the bloody sands
of the arena, has often raised his glazed eyes
to the stone benches where thousands Of
| bright, sympathizing eyes were bent upon his
last agonies, and as he writhed in the pain of
his wounds, delicate hands were brought
| together, making overwhelming echoes Of
| applause in the ears of Caesar himself.
| There is neither blood nor brutality
| to be seen at well ordered race course like
Jerome Park, or that which has lately been
inaugurated at Pimlco by the Maryland
Jockey Club in presence of twenty thousand
| persons, half of whom belonged to the weaker
and more tender SEX
BY and by we shall have jockey clubs in all
Of the States of the Union, and as they increase
| in number we shall have improvements in the
manner of conducting races as near perfection
as they can be made. AT present the races
succeed each other too rapidly, and COM
plant is made that there is not time enough
intervening between each race to allow the
spectators to examine the appearance and
quality of the horses The horses should
always before a race be brought before the
grand stand and shown to the spectators,
| and their names should be announced in
way to attract all who wished to gain infor
nation. One of the stewards or some officer
of the track should do this service, and it would
then be comparatively easy to recognize the
racers before the start, while running aud at
the finish. At many of the race meetings not
one quarter of the horses entered start in the
race, and thousand questions are propounded
| during the excitement of dash or heat, as to
| (which Is which, or does $50 and so win,
| by the excited multitude, and when the race is
| ended absolutely nothing is known of the
| result. The programmes which are offered
for sale are Of little service, from the fact that
| they do not give full and comprehensive idea
Of the horses, as they should in every instance
Then at every meeting variety of races
should be offered each day for the amusement
| of the public who attend them. Heats, dashes,
hurdles and steeple chases should be given,
alternating each other as performances in a
| theatre But we would advise the abolition Of