The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-07
was Of white cloth. trimmed with black velvet and

was Of white cloth. trimmed with black velvet and
II Is. however on the quarter stretch and around
the stands OF the judges and the p0o-scer that
most OF the fun and spirit going on the track may
he found. over at the Club House there are com
parativey few who attend the meeting for the sake
OF the racing alone. Pretty gloved hands now and
then hold up shining opera glasses and gaze with
evanescent interest upon the moving steeds; but
the sensation lasts only minute OF two. and ladies'
and cavaliers speedily subside into the more serious
business OF praising the beauty OF the landscape or
passing Judgment upon the latest fashions. or per-
haps even OF INDUCING in a little harmless flirta-
ton. But
ON THE QUARTER STRETCH
and in its neighborhood the race. and the race
alone engrosses the interest OF the crowds who
Grand Stand, certainly, there are "a couple OF par.
tltions which are enlivened by the presence and
the dresses OF the fair sex, but 1t Is the tn
the right where most people gather together and
where all who love sport for the sake OF sport alone
lind their most congenial sphere OF enjoyment
And there are certainly no ladies' therei Even
stranger naturally strolls thitherward IA soon as
he strikes the track, attracted by the din OF the
pool selling and the thickness Of the throng. Nor
horn to ind out what kind Of a
crowd he had struck II is the strangest human
like New York, displays so commonly the broadcast
contrasts in the way of temporary combinations OF
social atoms. Two or three hundred men, most OF
them well dressed and nearly all with white hats
and light neckties their faces turned to the pool
stand save when they look down at their cards
20 notice the pedigree or the owner OF horse,
perhaps giving significant nod, and thus stmulat-
ing the BOOKSELLER to fresh exertions.
WHO THEY ARE.
Some OF them-most of them, 1t may be sad-are
gentlemen, but there Is sprinkling OF gamblers
and pugilists and sports equally well, and perhaps
even more pretentiously alfred. who betray the
class to which they belong by that curious air OF
reckless awkwardness which we have all observed,
though none Of us have ever succe eded in exactly
describing 1t. AS they stand together you can pick
out the society sheep from the society goats with
unerring accuracy, nor do you need to be told by
some Omniscent mentor that yonder man with the
brown mustache and the yellow Kid gloves
keeps "hell" on Broadway, or that the little
fat man with the dirty nails; who Is so lurlously
disreputable piece OF jockeying on a certain pro-
vlncial track. Little, however, apparently, does
selling the pools about the social status OF his
customers. There he stands.
doc Underwood" name known all over the
Union, with the same red necktie, and keen, quick
glancng eye and lungs OF steel and CHEEKY vein OF
neyer-ceasing chaff that have challenged attention
younger than we now. Listen to him as
he yells out, SLOW much for first choice, gentle
men :" One hundred, 1--WE, ten, twenty nifty,
case once yesterday, thousand and fifty dollars.
You stare In vain around you for the bidders Now
and then you may detect a man making a slight
nod, but not often, and scarcely ever do You hear
the faintest murmur of assent. Hard work indeed
mnst the cheerful little man have 1T, as he thus
or middleman OF Fortune, making arrange
ments for. the transfer Of thousands and
thousdnus vi uoHarS from one pocket 10 announcer,
and taking an honestly earned commission, OF
course, fol- his trouble Every accepted bid Is noted
down In his book and the maker thereof forthwith
jostles through the crowd to the desk where sits
the clerk with his pool tickets and cashbOx, and
producing his wallet finally hands over his green.
backs into the custody OF Fate. Thus the ''fun OF
the fair'' goes merrly along until the bell rings to
cal the horses on the track, and there Is at once
stampede OF the greater part OF the crowd to the
galleries in the grand stand few faithful sports
however, still remaining, who lid until the steeds
have almost started.
BEFORE THE START
Great fun 1t Is also to mlnge with the crowd and
listen to the comments made upon the horses
they are led, nervous and eager, to the starting
point. Or course every one who really knows any
thng about them keeps his opinion to himself, but
there are great many people who know nothing,
ana therefore find 1t necessary to say good deal,
and to say 1t as loudly as possible. "Alarm is
In splendid FORM" cries out one young gentle
man IN pair OF very tight pants and very short
coat and as you look at him second time you
have vague recollection Of having bought a pair
OF Kid gloves from him ina certain dry goods store
eral buzz as the horses sadded, which is chiefly
made up OF comments OF much about the same
nature The whole stand however, settles down into
serious interest as the jockeys mount and ride up
bets, and there is a murmur Of disappointment at
every false start. Then, when at last the red flag
falls and the race is fairly begun. what dead
silence falls upon the course Look where yOu Will
but there Ii scarcely sound, save when In turning
the bluf or passing the stand there is
hard struggle for the first place, and then
the cries last but a moment, though they
seem strangely earnest. So the crowd remains alb
sOrbed and still for minute two until at the
hOmestretch there Is one simultaneous yell OF ex-
passed, the winner known, and the track and quar-
ter stretch again become popular promenade.
Plenty to look at plenty worth looking at even If
you care but little about fast horsenesh.