New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-24
REFORMING THE TURF.
A TALK WITH COLONEL CLARK.


T. nng OF horses has been overione. There has been
too much Of it for the pleasure of the pubc. too
o much fol- the good Of race-horse owners and too
much for the Improvement of thoron gnbreds
o What is to be done about itf Next year in tho
East there viii be i've strong bidders for patron
age fcur tracks In the Immediate ne bborhood Of
New-York and one at Saratoga These tracks must
be rivals. pulling against each other. they must
pail together for the common good. This year they
} did not pull well together and racing suffered.
Next season there must be reform and union Of
Interests in order to obtain success
The suggestions offered by that veteran turfman,
Leonard w. Jerome and published in THx Tab
uNE. have stimulated racing men to discuss
questions of reform. Easternmsn heartily approve
Mr. Jerome's ideas. Bat the We,terners have big
bumps behind their and are combative. Hav-
ing settled some four Years ago tic InterDecne
strife of their racing associations they disposed
to look down npon the East from the dazzling
height of their experience and show IDclna-
ton 10 point out the way to sure reform of tho
entire American tnrf
One of the most liberal Of Western racing men ID
Colonel VI. Lewis Clark. president of the Lonis-
| vile Jockey Club. the leading association beyond
the Aeghanies. Mr.. Clark has just returned to
his nome from visit of four weeks to this city.
While here be saw all the prominent turfnen and
| uti Hlore IMAM Que Lalk WIFI LeOHdri W. JeloiHe-
Personally these men are the best of frien Is bat
when it comes to horse racing the East and the
West will crop cat. Here is an instance; In his
| talk in THE TRIBUNE Mr. Jerome said
1t The excess or racing will lead contention and
among the tracks. and the racing Int rests H. tia
East Will be rain d. aud when the Eastrrn market
thorouehhrrdS is broken 1t will be day or breed
ers everywhere.
Colonel Clark delivered Western opinion on
this remark. turning up his han isome nose at the
| 90 Eas marketp
evidence in the result of the Rancocas sale that
the Eastern market was almost nowhere.
"What might have become of Ioquoso he said,
| /" if it had not been for the Westf'
When he drst became interested in the turf
Colonel Clark went to ENGLAND to stu " the racing
system there. not with the purpose of adopting t,
but to frame upon it something better suited to
American IDEAS He believes that hc accom-
pllshed his mission.
OBJECTIONS TO THE ENGLISH SYSTEM
GAS to tho need of a National Jockey C!nb.' he
said. " such there exists in England think we
not nearly really tor such an institution. 1t
may he nee ted in tine, but we don't want it now.
it is un-American. and entirely unsuited to any
except slow going, Conservative people like the
English
Please to name your objections to tho English
system" said The TRIBUNE reporter, 20 whom
President Clark was sreaking The Colonel lifted
his two hundred pounds ghCly from the bed
which he had been lying half dressed. and throw
ing his snspenders over h5 broad shou. ders hung
his thumbs in them and began.
DO you seriously believe" he SAID, " that Amer-
can racing associations could be persuaded to SUBJ
NIT 10 the power wieled by such an organization
az the English Jockey Cmbf' Mr. jerome says
that the power Of that club IL greater on the turf
than the power of Parliament That il true, and
it Snits EngliShmen to have 1t so Bat are Ameri-
cans going TO give To anv live or seven nine men
authority. absolnte authority. TO declare when aud
where "A new track or IN not lied. when old
when they shall not run. decide the DAYS
for racing. the eligibility OF horses and the priv.
ileges of owners. Jockeys and traincrsf M. the
American spirit ~ a spirit OF compromise. not
spirit of submission We want no iron clad sys-
TEN In this country. The American turf, in my
opinion and have given the matter much study
lie controlled only by National Turf Con-
gress Let all the jockey Cabs IN tie country come
to AN agreement on this point and send delegates
to such "A congress- which shall convene once q
year say in NOvember-and have tho power to
ADJUST by conference and compromise all differences
that may exist among the associations For in
stance. look at our own little congress- in the West
We meet once a year to prepare for tho racIug of
the next season. In this congress there at
present REPRESENTED the Washington Park
Latonia ST. LoGIs. Memphis New-Orleans and
Louisville Clubs Each club has its champion at
conrt Ia protect its rights. Now last year it was
cOnten,ed that LouisS lie had too many racing
days and it WAS PROMISED in tho congress that wo
give up two or three to certain other clubs |
fought to keep those days. assure yOu but in tho
end we consented to gIve up one by this con,pro-
mise great good was e;ectei all round Now lot us
make thls congress National. taking ia all the
clubs"
Why don't yon propose 1t to tho Eastern clubsfp
have Thought of doing 80. But we modest
West"
Colonel Clark slipped into his waistcoat as he
SAID tus and smiled. Then he began to tie his
four Inland and talked about betting lie dIdut
grow enthusiastic over the social feature az u sup
port of racing Betting thsre must be IN hIs opn-
ION lilo had solved the betting problem years ago
W tia tho Legislature of Kentucky and the ia ent"
conld invest It's money IN mo Tern and improved
style 90 hIs track. lie made The bookinakers do
their part toward the support OF the clu.
What abodt pulling horses. Colonel Can
you devise a plan to stop this III ahd-out runningT
AZ this query tho Co onel grew enthusiastic.
Throwing ON his coat he mounted his Pegasus aud
rode rapidly.
I" All" said he that my strong point Here is
my plan aIready devised Our National interests
Dnce combined the old Kentucky plan united
wo stand divided Wa all'et choose rom
nong the best informed racing men in this country
four Judges They must not b. owners trainers or
that It be run honestly. These four judges mast
house fifth, like unto themselves. and the i've
,hall constitute what III England is called the
Board of Stewards They must bo pad good saia-
-Ies for they will 10 busy throughout tho racing
'sason " it'll little time for other duties. Two mem-
'ers of this board shall act as Judge, at every
rack represented in the congress. having the
'owor to elect n thir, man t. sIt with them by
about racing, 80 they may let him place tue third
Iorse These Judges. honest men. ALL shall o force
he- racing rules most rIaidly 80 that every owner.
TaneI aud Jockey may know the penalty for In
ingein-nt ! think could put h,cu ia the Ju'igeS
tand whp would soon lind out why horse goes .
nile to-day IN LAO when yesterday he IL
Az With such men ~ judges yuu let jockey
10 ary OF this funny business ami See the result!
Why. half the judges IN this country know nothing
# racing rules. aud can tell you that tho jockeys
ery lind out the manner of men under whose
yes they riding Once that we'll ia
Orlned. coura geous mon are in the judges stand
hey out Tor tho Dn.v.' IL IL Astonishing
ow many horses thsre are IN America today
fhich can pack weight so much better than they
an pack money. With big load Of the pnbllo
unds their backs they seem utterly unable to
IN. My Board 0f Judges would put All end to all
bis"
Colonel Clark talked entertainingly for an bour
nj went OF TO DoImOnlco's tor breakfast Ills
arting injunction wasi " My contention IL tor
GARD OF judges IL will reform r,"'' in America
PRIIAln IA ia C-S ~ CHICAGO
from The chicago Mad