The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-10-15

The racing season is coming to an end
The meetings in Baltimore aud Washington
i'll the course of the current month will close
it mp. Then the statistcans will publish
their tables, and show who have been the
lucky owners and successful Jockeys, the
number of races of all sorts run, the accre-
gate of money run for. and the sires of the
horses that have won the most money: all of
which is very interesting to certain class
of readers, and will furnish matter for
weighty discussion 10 gentlemen in their
ciub-fooms until next spring when the
games begin again. 1t has been a lucky
season for owners and associations doubtless.
Probably more gate.money has been picked
up than in any previous year. But it has
been terribly hard season on the horses
There is not the material in the whole
country for iirst-class race, such as has in
former times drawn great crowds to the race
course, and has, while pending formed the
prominent topic in all conversational circles.
even to the gravest and most polite. And why?
Because there are no horses! The horses
are raced off their legs. There is not good
three-year-ol old in the country. There is but
one good four-year-old in the country. OF
the aged horses that have stood the battering
OF several seasons, those that survive are
mostly such as cannot run fast enough TO
hurt themselves. All the real good ones.
such as delight the heart of a lover Of the
noble animal to see in action, are cripples-
Luke Blackburn, Thora, Hindoo, Bend dor
all raced to death. Eole alone is left, and. as
there is nothing to make him run, he shows
only in handicaps--a most demoralizing
form of racing where the best horse is most
sure to be beaten. Perhaps we are putting
it little too strong, for Glenmore, Check
mate, Monitor, and Parole are expected to
run here, but neither of them has lately
shown anything like his old form.
The case in England in about as bad as it
is here, and from the same causes. There
is too much racing, and too much of the
wrong kind. Racing is advocated on moral
grounds because it develops in the highest
degree the powers of the noblest of animals.
There is no way of determining which are
courageous among horses but 10y racing
them on even terms. Unless We determine
the question We cannot iudiciously select the
best animals for breeding purposes and un-
less we do select them iudiciOusly we cannot
improve the breeds of horses, nor can we
keep them up TO their present high standard
of excellence. IT was by racing that the
English race-hOrse was developed, aud made
far superior to any animal of his kind, an
cient or modern, and by racing only can he
be kept to the front. But two-year-old
racing, short dashc5, and handicaps do not
farther that purpose, and cannot be de-
Tended on the ground Of utility. A warning
voice was raised in England many years ago
against these cankers of the turf but un-
fortunately was net needed; and to-day,
both in England aud in this country, which
has followed the bad example set in En-
gland, is the turf in such condition that
good racing has become exceptional. The
twO-year-Olds are raced so much that many
break down before the three -year-old sea
son, and the three year.Olds are almost in.
yariably good for nothing at the end Of their
season. The cup races, which ought to be
chief events Of every meetin 6, hardly ever
afford any interest as there are no lrst-class
horses TO contend in them. What remains
Nothing but hanlicap8 good enough to bet
on, but SO is the faro-box and to this level
racing seems to bo coming.
And yet there are good horses bred in the
country is as goood as ever looked through
bride. The English were forced to confess
that hoquois aud Foxhall were worthy of
The most glorious days Of the turf We see
nothing to forbid the suppositou that IIindoo
was the peer, perhaps more than the peer of
either Thora, wheu here last spripr. w.s
wonderfully fine animal. Eo0,mr a.
wanted to revive the pristine glory Of IN.
turf but proper encouragement Of Legitimate
racing, and Encouragement by the public and
press Of the tendency to degrade the race.
horse to being mere gambling instrument
There IS abundant evidence in the multi