The sun., 1889-12-08
SPEED, NOT STAMINA
ruF TENDENCY OF THE MODERN
BREEDING OF THoR0UGHBREDS.


stayers-The POSSESSION OF Flash.in-ths
,sn sort or RaeinG spurts Nowadays
wakes Flashy but Not stalwart Aainaals
Perhaps That 1s the Sort We Want.
Tho growth OF interest in the thoroughbred
,,cs horse in America during the past Ave
Ears is remarkable, and events have oc-
,,nrrsd in that time that have caused veteran
s.,ne men to marvel Records at almost all
S,stances have been ecllpsed. and phenomenal
r,rformances are now as common rs ordinary
,rhievements were less than decade ago.
m. question has been asked whether the
,boroughbred OF to-day is so much superior to
hs ancestors or whether the exceptionally fast
dine made is due to the perfection OF our
sourses which are levelled. rolled. narrowed.
,nd so manipulated and cared for that
,bsv are as nearly frat class as Il
"a possible TO got them. A good many
man who have glven the subject a great deal
Al consideration arc in favor Of bestowing
.,arly all the credit upon the race tracks, and
slts the grand performances OF KinRfsher.
IonRfellow. Harry Bassett. Lexington, and
n,hes ss proof OF their views This same
class OF men deplore the steady growth Of
abort distance. or sprint racing. which is now
40 popular or at least prevalent In this country.
Thev Sigh for the good old days whom thor
ourhbred was not considered true blue un-
isss he could 20 heats at any distance: and
one Of them contemporary exclaimed. "a
nretty show she would have In q two-milO and
repeat race" as Geraldine. the beautiful
california fllly. darted under tho wire
winner OF half q mile in 46 seconds
during the inaugural meeting Of the
New York Jockey Club at West Chester.
glance at the programme OF any OF our
jockoy clubs will show the preponderance of
H.
and half is rarity found only on one or
two cards. while those over mile and quar-
tor are scarce enough. Almost every days
programme is made up Of dashes at Eve. SIX.
and seven iurlongs or mile. and It stands to
reason that when jockey clubs show the way
by framing such contests horsemen are not
slow To follow They quickly learn that 1t will
be to their interests to breed horses that
have the requisite speed, and stamina is
In many instances thrown to the winds.
Years ago It was stamina, sound sustain
ing qualities primarily, and speed as q
secondary matter. that was sought after and
priced most highly.
1t is claimed that this craze for short
distance racing 10 running the thoroughbred
In America. and that the horses OF the pres
ent day are not nearly the equal OF their
ancestors in point Of bottom. This Is GER
tainly true, as the arst-clsss performers over
distance Of ground that are now on tho turf
may be counted on both hands. Outside OF
Firenzi Exile. Salvador. Kingston. Raceland.
Hanover, Senorita. Tenny. Gorgo, and one or
two others. there are none Of especial merit at
o mile and half or upward. and 1t has been
said very often that Kingston. Raceland and
Hanover are not fond Of more than mile and
q quarter. The fact that the former won one OF
the best races Of the year whom he was three
year-old at a mile and three quarters. Race
lands victory over Firenzi in the Grand Ma
tonal. ct the recent meeting Of the American
Jockey Club. and Hanover's Emporium and
other stake Victories are In direct opposition to
such argument; and they have earned their
right to be ranked among the best and truest
thoroughbreds Of to-day. The Bard was up to
any weight and any distance. and Troubadour
was considered the peer Of his contempora-
ries, while Miss Woodford will always be re-
membered as marc that could negotiate two
mile heats as cleverly as she could sprint five
furlongs. Mr.. Belmont's great four-yea DID,
Prince Royal. who went amiss after running
second to Exile for the Brooklyn Handicap last
spring. gave promise as O three-year-old Of
being distance perforper OF greater ability.
On the other hand. We have scores OF sprinters
that can show wonderful flights OF speed at
ave. six. and seven fIrlongs, aud in some in
on they, cry enough. and the second or third
rater who has some Of the old blue blood In his
rear in the early part Of the race. comes along
at his leisure. oyertakes the exhausted sprint:
q, e, and passes him when the neeter animal OF
nos rsh HGn and ' It % %Gff
encourage distance racing. It TN makes a selling
platter almost as valuable as o stake horse
from racing standpoint. as the former can
N wi ahnr LAT nfa md
rarely incur penalty, while the stake horse.
he who travels further, IS more highly organ
pelled to shoulder penalty every stake he
captures. A well-knoWn trainer in speaking OF
this the other d2v said; % would rather own a
day. that IS A the eStS Susi0ess RRess fE foT
money and and. not for the pure love Of see,
the land in the. biz events o. the
EooE5 ETooooE5 n'Hfd, and win win II he could: With =
Hll that must be done is TO protect him for $500
or 81 900 every now and then: II had a stake
run In the best Of company I should put him
n selling events and bet on him, and keep him |
here; No matter how high GLASS plater you |
money AGAINST b NJ and at those odds a man
.ould make a heap, of money. Why. look
sa Ss old d sprsr ysr hs d WI WaoE 'ssh Sa T'ES Eps
81. 1rL H. IL only won 80 out q -
,ould be had against him In any Of his races
gas to ]. How's that for arecord2 Bangup |
hhy, should say II was.
Now you listen to me and I'll give you an
Instance OF how a man was fooled into
unninR fairly good colt in the wrong
company. Mr.. Jennings had O fairly good !
hree-year-old iD Dunboyne. and you can
Iasily recall his second TO Hanover for the
emporium Stakes at Sheepehead Bay. and
lis dead heat with Elkwood ct Saratoga, The
1eTt spring he was very heavily backed for the
suburban. and 30 on through the year whom:
yer he appeared he carried q lot Of
money. He won few good races but
he prestige OF running second. to Han:
cat with ii WOOD pC az Saratoga s Killed him
neotuallY, The handicappers always over
stimated his Drowess; he was compelled 70
AIRY weight at which he could not win, and
ere be ts to-day. q thoroughly exposed horse.
What would have been the result II he had been
ut In selling races and kept there2 Only this.
hat he would have been about able to get the
money whenever called upon. and he would be
Iorth lust as much money to Mr. jennings.
Tho, while running him as O selling plater.
Iould know that he was really tho owner OF @
Vt stake. or handicap horse ct certain
IoiRht There is q horse now on the turf run:
Ing In ceiling races. and frequently entered
or $1,000 and $1,000. that is worth $4,000 OF
.nd's old Tattler. Don't he get the money
bout as cften as any OF them 2"
These trenchant remarks by man who Is
IN lyIo xvif hod a ia |