New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-09
JEROME PARKS FUTURE.
is THE AMERICAN JOCKEY CLUB TO LIVE
OR DIE?
CRISIS IN ITS HISTORY - THE VILLA SITE
COMPANY TO ACT To.DAY-oRIGIN OF THE
CLUB AND WHAT IT HAS DONE FOR
RACING IN AMERICA.

RACING IN AMERICA
On the action Of the stockholders OF the 'eiomo
Park Villa site and Improvement Company TINS a'or
noon depends tho future Of the Ameosn JOCKEY Oiuo
A question of vital Importance TO this honoiaoe anu
honored Institution is to be considered lues'oh
which plainly put amounts. 10 this anaii '.v 80
can Jockey Club race next year or not Al" t,"
lost money this yesr-thee Is no conceane"' y. '"'
factand through IL the villa site Company SUFFERED
tn ,oo,ho,dorS ars ,o ask themselves and one an
other 70 they shall quit or go on. They Will 40 'mS
q, an m in the rooms of the company, al No
W., rrcrtv eftbst. the old quarters OF The New
York Club. -, .
wher oreat man dies the grief Of the world IS
assuared by the good things that are sao Oh MN III
the obituary columns OF the newspapers ~ 10
.r % biographical leave taking of an old and valued
$3.50 den airing for the undiscovered country. The
,ve has not yet closed over the American JOCKEY
1,uh-may (. never close but the time seems rpe
for a brief history Of its rise and fall
Prior 10 1856 there was some pretty good horse rae
,nc at Saratoga N " and Paterson, n. j. TIE Pater-
son cIab which called itself the Passac County Agri-
cultural Society. the pioneer of racing at the
north, and ON its track John Hunter. william h
Travers ID. Mcdaniel, Milton II. Sanford, Francis
Morris and Others esteemed il privilege and an honor
TO run their horses. In 1864 Charles Wheatly went
from Lexington, Ky. 10 Saratoga 10 build track Tor
the saratoga AsSOCldtlOD. anu iHc Sohio bN""N~''
raced there in 1865 and &c. Leonard Jerome
constant attendant. determined that New-YOrh should
have track of its own and Mr. Wheatly was bundled
off 10 the wild woods of Westchester. 10 look for
suitable spot which TO lay out the grounds lie
wanted TO find a piece Of fiat land, but Mr. Jerome
would listen to nothing of the sort. The new course
must be picturesque; 1t must have hills and hoOws'
it must have views. Arriving at such bit of country
Mr.. Jerome said
Build me a race track here
Impossible said Mr.. wheatly, running his eve
over the sharply undulating ground. There ISM
room enough here for track. wed nave 10 uiE
away the hills"
GO round them"
ave might make saddle track by going to the
left of one hill and to the right of another
"Very good. Make saddle-bags trach''
So II was settled, and the saddlebags track was
built Mr. wheay placing the.enginecrng part Oh inc
work in the hands of Charles Ballard
Mr.. jerome then organized the American 'o'h,'
Club It's main object being-accorng TO he piedihuio
Of the constitution" the improvement OF horses 'nc
elevation Of the public taste in the sports Oh inc
turf and to become an authority in racing matters III
this county, The constitution was signed on April
IT. 1865 by these gentlemen the names being gwen
in their order August Belmont W. Butler duncan
Paul S. Forbes, Leonard W. Jerome, John f. PuldS
W. r. Travers, F. Morris r. Taylor Samuel L. NJ
Barlow A. c. MonsOn, II. W. Cameron, NJ. II. Sanford,
Henry A. Stone, L. G. Morris, d. ID. WitherS, Elisha
Riggs Lawrence Il. Jerome, Francis Skiddy, william
Redmond, George GliswOld Gray, John Hoey, J. e.
Bennett, jr., f. Boudnot Colt, John Hunter, Davil
Crawford, jr, H. W. Gray and J. W. Clendcnin. The
first regular meeting of the club was held in Mr..
Jerome's Office at No. 46 Exchange Place, on Septem-
Der 5, 1866, and board of permanent stewards was
elected consisting Of August Belmont, presiding
steward, and W. Butler Duncan, W. r. Tsv1 rs
Leonard W Jerome and John +. Purdy associate
On october this board was dispensed with and the
members of It became respectively the president and
vice president OF the club. Mr. Belmont was re
elected annually for twenty years
II twas at this meeting that Mr. Jerome proposed to
lease his saddlebags track to the American jockey
Club. The grounds had been chrlsenei Jerome PARK
and had been opened with splendid demonstration IN
September. 1t was than month before his terms
were accepted and at the next meeting OF the club.
pending action in the matter, he rendered his rsigna
ton as OF the directors. which resignation the cub
unanimously resolved not TO accept MIR. JerOm' was
rich man. liberal and philosophical lie guaranteed 'hP
financial success Of the American Jockey CLUB by agree
ng i'm his lease 10 sustain it. losses TO the extent Of $50
600 annually Tie club not TO restrict Itself in an!
way as to the expenditures necessary 10 provide the
best quality of racing 1t was at liberty tn MAKE us
purses large small as 1t saw IT. On inc othei
hand II the club realized profit from racing, MI
Jerome was 10 take 90 per cent of the net amount the
other per remaining in the treasury OF the asso
ciation Furthermore. the club issued TO Mr. Jerom'
1000 shares of its capital stock, representing 5000 1000
and as il is stated in the charter that the fun amount
of the capa stock is only 100000 1t looks as II the
club gave itself body, soul and breeches TO Its founder
But Messrs. Belmont Hunter, Travers, Purdy' sahiON
and their associates did not race for money IN hos
DAYS They were out for glory, and as long as the
American Jockey Club paid expenses they were salts
NOt
years did Mr.. jerome have to put his hand in his
pocket TO make ends meet
The first secretary of the club Dr. John B,
irving. who served till December o, 1oo7. when he
was succeeded by Charles Wheaily the builder of the
track and secretary OF the saratoga Association NJ
Wheatly was invested with almost unlimited power
a salary OF $500 year, and the rent OF a house
or lodgings not exceeding 1900 per annum' nc
was required 10 live ION or near the property,
and that is why he occupies to-day cottage in
Fordham, cosey little nest in ST. Jame5-st. which
lie built while general manager of jerome Park.
All NewYork turned out at the opening Of the sad.
de bags track on September 2j. 1856. Tie fist rae
was for premium of $500, with these conditions
"A dash of mile and ? quarter fer three-year
ODDS Colts 100 pounds. lilies 81 pounds The
winner of the Derby Travcrs Stake, Z pounds
extra the penalty not TO accumulate"
There were six starters. and the summary. made
in Dr. lrving's schoolboy hand reads as follows
II. A. Aexander's b. c. Bayswater, by Lexington, dam
Is5y N4..n} !
J. W. weldon's ch. c. Local, by Lightning dam Ma -
M. ssnioid's b c. Islae by Revenue, dan LOUIS
D. Mcdaniel :. C. Ripley by jen Dayla dam Sias,,
(AberO 4
S. J. Carter's ch {. Delegate by Highlander, dam by
d. Reeiy's ch C Tom wooliaik by Lexington dam
TIme-2 H. II see rO'e" y
What has become of Abe. the rider of the winner?
Who can say what Mcmahon is doing nowl And
where arc Gray, Albert, CT and Foley!
The second race for the Inauguration Stakes
heats of four mHes-ihnk Of It, We short winded
spiners Of todayfour miles! The starters were the
mighty Kentucky, owned by John Hunter Forbes
Jerome's Fleetwing, J. 5. Watson'S Onward and
Il. a. Alexander's Idlewild. OF course Kentucky
von. He carried ia pounds and took the race I'm