The record-union., 1891-07-07
EFFECT OF LIQUOR ON HORSES.
1t Is Not Ardent Spirits That is Used
as q Stimulant.


a method. not in general practice, but
in vogue among certain horsemen, has
received the attention of portion of the
horse journals throughout the country
recently. 1t is that of infusing artificial
courage into faint-hearted horse, or of
sJimulatiI z the failing powers, when the
race is long, by administering ardent
spirits. There have been instances where
nature he's been assisted and sustained,
by adven itious means, sufficiently to
carry he tse through and enable him to
win a race which was irretrievably lost
to him ol herwise. \ very striking in
stance of his kind occurred some years
ago at Waverly, when Helene, by Ham
bletonian Prince, was in her prime
Helene co nd speed as fast as any horse
living, but she was exceedingly faint
hearted, and would quit like a steer if
the race was prolonged and she was car
ried anywhere near the limit of her
speed. 1t Will be remembered that she
was entered in race at Waverly with
her half-b brother, Peralto, and with ,Jo-
sephus, Parole, Nellie Irwin and several
others. Helene took the first heat in fine
style. PCralto, another rank Quitter,
took the second in 2:264, mark which
laid him up forever as racehorse.
Helene took the third heat and Josephus
the fourth and fifth. 1t was pennies to
peanuts tAat JoSephuS would win the
race, as he was the only horse in the gang
that had any ambition left after the fifth
heat.
When + elene was being cooled off pre-
paratory 10 the sixth heat George Stengel
sauntered by, and after looking the mare
over remarked: 'If that was nv mare I
would give her half pint of whisky"
The suggestion was like an inspiration
to the Dackers of the mare. a long
necked bottle was procured, and about
ten minutes before the start half pint
or more o. the fiery fiuid'' was poured
down her throat, The effect was magical.
The old jade acted like rare and radi-
ant maiden at her first ball. She waltZed
up the stretch, and scored down at a clip
that batfied all attempts at fair start
Twice she came down as if hurled from
catapult. Then her driver, fearing that
the effects of the ''ardent" would wear
off before The word was given, requested
TO be sent of If he was little back"
The third time down the word was given,
and Chandler let the old mare have her
head. She went around the turn so fast
that Chandler said he felt nausea at the
stomach. Halfway up the far side she
carried JoSephus to q tangled break and
sped on 20 the half The break-neck
speed was maintained to the three
quarter pole, and then nature took hand
In the proceedings and asserted her sway;
legs, stomach, heart and every part of the
anatomy that had any interest in sustain
ing the vitality began to give way to the
strain. From 2:20 clip at the start her
speed diminished To a 500 gait and had
the wire been fifty feet further down the
stretch the ambulance would have been
needed TO bring her in. The tremendous
speed of the first portion of the mile gave
her a lead sufficient TO let her in before
she could be overtaken, and she won the
race.
Apropos of Helene and her unfortunate
physical tuling is circumstance which
occurred 1T Fleetwood Park. In match
race with Overman Helene won the first
heat with such seeming ease that, by
some, it was thought that Overman had
no show N the race at all, When the
second heat had been started and the
horses were well down toward the quar-
ter pole, with Helene two lengths ITO the
good an enthusiastic sportsman, stand
ing on TIE club house steps, said to
another: IN bet you S75 to 500 that Hell
enc wins the heat" Done" said the
other. Al the three-quarter pole Over
man had closed the two lengths to one
and on the stretch he beat the mare to a
'standstill.' What did you base your
bet on" said the loser TO the winner,
with the mare having two lengths the
best of it" Il based it upon the we'll
known constitutional in6rmity and dis
position o the Hambletonian Princess to
quit" replied the winner. Helene could
best any horse that could not beat 2:25.
On the other hand, her half-brother, by
the same sire, in his day was the greatest
race horse that ever struck a track That
man does not live who ever saw Billy
Button quit in a race, no matter how fast
the clip.
1t is not ardent spirits that is used as a
Gtimulant at Guttenburg. 1t is mys-
Eterious iuid administered by hyper
dermic in ection. 1t is said that this is a
common practice at this notorious resort
The effect produced in some cases was
not what was desired. Like the injection
OF the lymph, great care must be ex-
ercised, or the result will be disastrous.
Some day, ago horse was hyperderm-
ically trea ed and he ran away, covering
five miles before he could be pulled up.
Another ran away last Saturday week
from the same cause.
Any process of this kind must be dele
terious IL the end. 1t is thought that
Helene never fully recovered from the
effects Of the dram given her at Waverly,
although she did, subsequently, carry
Edward 1horne 10 the three-quarter pole
in a $1,000 stake race at Boston at a clip
that made his head swim. 1t is q dem
onstrated fact that alcohol depletes the
nervous system, and while it may whip
up the Cir ulation for the time being. and
give momentary impetus and increase
strength 10 the action of various organs.
the after fleets are so disastrous that it
does not Jay in the end.--Newark Call.