The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-04
The jerome Park and Derby Day.


The Derby Day was an unusually splendid
spectacle yesterday, as may be inferred from
our dispatches. The Derby has become
national institution, so transcendent in i'm
portance that even Parliament adjourns in
order that the legislators may attend. So far
as we can judge from the result the racing
seers have had another disappointment The
Intelligent" people had made up their
minds that the colt Atlantic would be winner.
Others seemed to have depended upon
Couronne de Fer. But these favorites and
all the others were beaten, and the
cup was won by George Frederick, who
seems to have been as unknown as
Hermit few years ago, when that famous
animal galloped out of the trailing obscurity
of despised favorites to win the ribbon for his
owner and become one Of the famous horses
of the world 1t is this very element of un-
certainty, combined with the study and close
calculation, which made intelligent people
reason SO closely as to the value of Atlantic
and Couronne de Fer; that gives the turf its
value and makes us look kindly upon every
effort to encourage it, not only as popular
recreation, but as means of improving the
character and value Of our horses.
What the Derby is to London, in higher
sense the Jerome Park is to New York. The
Derby course is simply an open plain, given
for generations to the uses Of the turf. Tho
Jerome Park is natural race track, care
fully arranged and kept, with a commodious
club house. The Derby is long and dusty
ride from London, through a dull country,
the main feature of the journey being the
unusual mass of people, the tumult of life and
activity, the outpouring of London, as it
were into the fields, with all of the activity,
generosity, enterprise and chatf of the Eng
fish character. The racing at Jerome Park
is as Characteristic of our people as the
Derby Day in London, although it may
be said to more closely resemble Longchamps
at Paris. The French, English and American
traits are indicated in these festivals. The
Longchamps races are on the edge of Paris, as
it were, on the further edge of the Bots de
Boulogne. Those who remember the racing
day during the Empire will recall the splendor
and show of Longchamps when the horses
came down the course painting for the Grand
Prix. The racing day at Longchamps, how
ever, was more of spectacle than
q race There was as much millinery
and show and gaudiness of equipage
as any real interest in the speed and
power of the horses One might say that
the Frenchmen loved racing for the pleasure
it gave them, while the Englishmen loved it
for the sake of the horses The American
loves it for both reasons. We are ambi-
tious of having the finest horses in the world,
and when we have a real favorite for Jerome
Park he receives as much attention, and is
treated with far more respect, than candi-
date for the Presidency. jerome Park, also,
is not as far from the city as the Derby from
London, and some distance further than Long,
champs from Paris. The route lies through
the most inviting sections of Manhat-
tan Island, and into those lovely,
rolling Westchester scenes, which no
poet, and certainly no painter, has as yet
properly celebrated. So tar as we have any
history it clusters around this section, for the
road which carries the eager citizen to the
races is the road over which Andre went when
he sought his fate; and the country which on
Saturday will swarm with shouting thousands,
straining their eyes after the hurrying group
of horsemen as they speed around the track,
is full OF revolutionary memories-of Wash
ington in victory and retreat, of English
armies making O last desperate fight for
empire of our American armies struggling
hopelessly, but not altogether, as it seemed,
without hope, for nationality and freedom.
The interest which our people take in this
noble amusement will be seen in the fact that
the coming meeting at Jerome Park will be
From the entries thus far made there will be
more good horses than have ever assembled on
n racing track. Although much interest Is
taken in our frequent trotting matches,
good trotting can be seen any day on the
road, while the full speed and powers Of the
horse are only shown in full and holly con-
tested running race. Every year we note that
the tone of our races improves. Our best
citize MS take a pride in an amusement that
improves the horse and attracts thousands OF
our people into the open fields to see one of
the most interesting sights that can attract man
kind---the struggle between group Of high
blooded horses for the mastery.
A Coop LAVA warrant was obtained
yesterday at the Tombs Police Court against
an Italian padrone for violating the law
passed by the last Legislature for the preven-
IL