The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-26
RUNNERS vs.. TRO7TERS.
The Major Portion Of the Crowds
Flocked to Sec the
Former.
Why Light Harneee Races Are
Not Popular in and About
Gotham.

why Al&0t ad0u688 68C9S Ar
Not Popular in and About
The Managers Hampered by Some Old
Fashioned Methods Changes that
Running Races Suggest
Light harness racing al an American
born sport should naturally have its share
of patronage in this locality, where there is
such constituency of pleasure seekers, but
q comparison between the numbers that
hocked to Sheepshead Bay during the re-
cent meeting and those that were at Fleet
wood Park to see the trotters shows that
the gallopers have a walk-over in the race
for popularity about the metropolis, says
New York paper. This has come about
within brief period, for the older horse
men can recall day when the saddle was
secondary to the sulky unless it was on the
back of a Dexter or an Ethan Allen, and
the crowds that crossed the ferries to Long
Island on race days went to see the trotters.
while the older British sport went begging
for patronage. Now there is a complete
turnover. The runners hold sway in pub
lie favor hereabout and the light har-
ness performers play to empty benches.
Ask those who bow down to the
bang tail gods why the trotters
fail to attract, and thew will tell you that
trotters' feet make dull music compared
with the quick step of the runner, and that
the true sportsman wants none of the pro-
tracted battles waged between the former.
They will assert moreover, that there has
not been square race on the trotting
turf for score of years, and wind up with
the assurance that they would as soon play
poker with 'cold deck'' as invest money
on the outcome of a contest in harness.
On the other hand, your trotting turtle
who has seen both branches of the sport as
t has been conducted maintains his loyalty
to the harness horse, but admits that the
runner is far ahead in the race for popular
ity. This, he contends, is because the man.
ayers of our driving parks have not pro-
crossed with the times, being content to go
along in the old grooves, while the jockey
clubs have been ever on the alert to devise
new methods whereby the pleasure-seeking
part of the populace might be more COM
pletely won over to their support.
In the earlier days running events were
arranged IN heats as we'll as the contests in
harness, but the result was SO often kept in
suspense for several innings that the dash
system was adopted instead. The best evil
dence of the wisdom of this change is the
increased patronage that followed it, and
the running track that attempted to return
to the old plan would commit financial sui
eide. With the trotters, however. the
ancient and once popular contest of heats
is still rigidly followed, and the harness
racer of to-day having the same herculean
task to perform of winning three times be-
fore victory ia secured as was set before his
ancestors. If this meant that a horse must
trot or pace three miles in each race it
would not be SO bad, but there is no such
limit to the task, for with only two COM
petitors contest may require five heats to
decide. In larger fields it is not uncommon
to see the struggle prolonged for six or
more, while the records of every season
contain long drawn affairs of eight, nine,
and even ten heats. The conservative,
old fogy hors hen contend that this test
Of endurance necessary, and that the
triumph is gre as the heats are numer
GUS, but those 10 are more alive to the
interest of the frotting turf do not hest
tate to admit that these long races are a
clog to the wheels of progress and the main
cause for the triumph of running as a pay
ing spectacle in our large cities. Take up
card for an afternoon at the Coney Island
track and compare it with one of those ar
ranged for the Grand Trotting Circuit, and
the uninltiated would think the former
promised just twice as much sport. for it
contains six races, while there are only
three at the driving park. Note the result
at the two places, however. and the reports
show that while the racers went six times
the trotters and PAGERS had to make at least
nine trips about the course to complete
their engagements. Then if the three
events were, not ended in straight heats
there are several ADDITIONAL heats, each OF
them a race in itself. The harness horses,
therefore, frequently furnish twice as many
contests as the runners. This. instead of
being an attraction, wearles the crowd, or,
as one of the spectators at the recent Dun
dee Park meeting put it, when the second
DAVIS programme comprised thirteen heats
'.There is too much pork for a shilling"
It is seldom that the interest can be kept
mn for the time that it requires to get a
dozen or more heats of, and If an American
audience were not the most patient in the
world the track would be deserted when the
issue is kept in doubt as long AS 1t fire.
quently is at trotting meeting.
Under the rules now III force on the tracks
of the National and American associations
q horse that does not win heat i'll five goes
to the stable unless there are ten starters
when all remain in as long as they do moi
ification. Doubtless this rule was conceived
in the interest of fair play to the owner who
paid entrance money, and was therefore en-
titled to every chance to to get his horse tc
the front, but the people in the grand stane
were entirely ignored by a provision which
serves to make trotting race as tiresomt
O. an old-fashioned sermon. striking in
stance Of this occurred during the meeting
at Detroit last July, when the three classe.
ret down for the first day had ten or more
starters in each, 30 that it was possible fol
them to have continued all the week. AS i,
vas, only one race was ended on time, anl
it took fifteen heats to decide the other two
II has been proposed to change this fos-
0ilized plan, by which the spectator Is liable
20 be bored beyond endurance and the
horses are taxed to the verge of cruelty, bu,
those who control the legislation on the
subject have not vet condescended to take
the desired step. AT tne last biennial con-
0ress of the National Trotting association
4 e was proposed to amend the rules SO that
4 horse must win heat In three or four OF
retire from the race, but that body refused
TO yatify the treaty to lessen the hardshlps
4 OF the horse and his patrons, so that the
sum will go down on many an unfinished
i race thus season, as of yore. AS for such a
thing as dashes or even two or three heats
the stid-backed managers of the trotting
tracks will have none of them, SO it is not
20 be wondered at that those who would see
li2ast harness sport resume the place now
naaIped by the gallopers are wont to con-
4 fEaaf the methods employed by those who
ain to promote the respective pastin.es, and
nnd the one enterprising, go-ahead and sue
S. onoaful while the other is deep down in the
ut OF an underlined prejudice against any,
4 hing that savors of change or experiment,
Tho plain truth is that if the trotter
had mot such firm hold on the people
d his individual magnetism would be coun-
leracted by the wall of conservatism that