Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-18
CRIPPLEs ON THE TURF,
The sprinters of To-day and the stayers
of Twenty Years Ago.

L
of Twenty Years Ago.
From the New York Tribune
The question is, "Are we improving the
breed of horses ?" and the answer is, "No."
In racing, as in every other sport practiced
on large scale in the United States, what
| is known as the American idea prevails.
This idea was perfectly understood in other
countries long before the United States be
came nation.
The Norwegians may have brought it
here in 1902, or possibly it travelled with
Columbus, nearly 500 years later. 1t is a
historical fact that Sebastian Cabot came
here in 149S for no other purpose than TO
make money. Hordes of Spaniards and
Portuguese followed with the same inten-
ton, and money-making is said to have
been the chief end of man in America
ever since. 1t is not surprising, therefore,
that the turf should have become an insti-
tuition for gain. 1t was established on
much higher plane, but it has slid down.
The same may. be said of baseball, which
is played fer revenue only, and it is highly
probable that New York will soon have
professional football, with princely salaries
for rushers and half-backs Racing in the
United States is gravitating into the hands
of men who follow it simply because they
can make more money out Of it than any
thing else. 1t is scarcely going too far to
say that it has degenerated from a.sport to
a business, aud too often the business is
conducted in a manner calculated to pre-
vent honorable turfmen from participating
il it.
But the question is, "Are we improving
az bro.,d 4 bc,-sae 9iy Tbara rrad 70 he
in this country a horse by the name of
Boston, who, in the course Of distin-
guished career on the turf, won forty-eight
or fifty four-mile heat races. Is there a
horse living to-day that could run one
four-mile heat race without bursting a
hoot, or spripging tendon, or splitting
his lungs? Boston had a grandson, the
mighty Kentucky, to whom four-mile
heat was only breather He was almost
unbeatable when fit, and when his racing
days were over John Hunter sold him to
a breeder for $4,000. What breeder
would give $4,000 for Hanover, who is no
slouch of horse?
Kentucky had speed, and was known to
be slayer; Hanover has speed, and is |
known to be a non-stayer. Sprinters are
not wanted in the stud, As between Han
over, type of the race-horses of the pres
ent day, and Kentucky, type of those
of twenty years ago, the former does not
appear to be much of an improvement |
The difference between the two, estimated |
in money, is about $4,000, yet Hanover
has probably won more money for the
DIVERS than Kentucky won for Mr.. Hun |
ter. Owners are afraid to run their horses |
nowadays over distance Of ground.
There is too much danger of breaking |
them down. Because of this an over
whelming majority of the races are under |
mile. An ordinary horse can safely be
sent to the post three times week, pro-
vided he is not asked to go each time more |
than six or seven furlongs, but one race of
mile and hall is considered sufficient to
warrant rest and retirement for several
days. When the Secretary of jockey
club is bold enough to announce heat
race, he finds the entries limited to use
less lot of crawling selling-platers, in
which the racing world take no sort of in
faract