The morning call., 1891-05-25
RACING GOSSIP.
Needed Reforms in Running and
TrOtting Races.
How Old-Time Trotters Were Trained-Tried
to Bribe Fred Archer, the English
Jockey Local Trotting.

So far the California stables that recently
LETT the Coast to race at the Eastern tracks
have done nothing to sustain the reputa-
tons they made here. On Wednesday last
that good colt Nero started in the Chicago
Derby at Corrigan's West-side track and
though he was a rcd-hot fayOrite could only
run third in a field of four starters The
time for the distance, one and a quarter
miles, was very slow, 2l7. 1t was hardly
to be expected, however, under the condi-
tons, that any horse but Corrgan'S would
win the first Derby run at Corrigan's own
new track. His colt Brookwood, who was
repeatedly beaten at the Southern meetings,
secured the prize.
ALL FOR CORRIGAN.
On Saturday the Undine stable decided to
scratch Racine in the valuable Exposition
stakes, one and a quarter miles, because of
the mud, and again Corrigan won another
rich plum with his FLY Ethel 1t looks
somewhat as if owners were afraid to win
valuable race from COrrigan at his own
track.
One of L. ]. Roses colts, Nomad. half
brother to Rnfax, made somewhat of
better showing at BROOKLYN on Saturday by
running second to the Morris colt st. Flo
rian, In the Bedford stakes, at five and
half fGrlongs, the time being 1:09l2
GOOD ONES GOING EAST
This week a couple Of runners. both well
above the aYerage-HOtspur and Acclaim
will 60 East also to try their luck. They
will 90 TO Denver first, then to St. Paul,
thence to Chicago, and on East for the fall
races. HOtspur will render good account
of himself at a distance, and should beat
In nv
open the eyes of many an Eastern owner of
cracks, if she keeps well and IS lit TO race
when started. She is by Three Cheers
ROsette, and is the best three year-old tilly
shown up in California this year. Ii Ken
nedy handles her right there is every
chance 10 make big coup with her and
win a fortune before her true form is made
public.
THE BULLDOZING DIVERS.
OF all the tyraunical aud autOcratie pro-
ceedingS the method adopted by the DWyer
Brothers at the present Brooklyn meeting
to prevent the New York pool-ruOms from
getting betting, results and other infOrma-
ton at the track certainly is the worst.
They actually refuse to let any one
leave the track until the races are
over for fear that they will carry out
such news as the pOOl-rOomS require.
To enforce their orders, they hire about 100
Pinkert0n detectives daily, lock the gates
few moments before The first race is called,
and If any one attempts TO leave, he IS set
on by the detectives and dubbed back
Such proceedings would not he tolerated for
a moment on any other track in the world,
and both the Dryers and their hirelngS II
they attempted such bulldOZiug would soon
be put h0rS de combat and the track fences
leveled 10 the ground by justly indignant
public.
STARTING REFORMS.
Among the many needed reforms on the
turf the question Of securing prompt and
even starts is one OF the most prominent.
There IS absolutely no sense Ia its taking
nearly an hour 10 effect start with field
If less than eight starters, as has repeatedly
occurred at tile different local meetings this
spring. How long, say, for example, would
any audience tolerate delay because, per-
hapS. the machinery was rusty, Of an hour
in the raising Of the curtain on every act at
any theatrical performance? Yet that is
precisely what occurs at nearly every race
meeting here. 1t is somewhat different in
the East. As, apparently, California jock
eys are totally Indifferent to q starters or
deTs, tie following rem Tks Of a local horse
man, who has just returned from Australia,
might be carefully considered by the differ
ent associations:
THE style in which runners are started
on tie COLONIAL tracks is worthy of imitation
in this country. a WhiteTaSh line Is made
across the track, and the horses are COM
soon as they are in position the flag is
dropped and away they 90. The plan works
admirably, and we never saw poor start in
Australia, or horse left at the post There
is no delay either and il is very rarely that
horses are more than five or ten minutes on
the track before they are sent off. Prompt
ness is the rule Of the country, and if racing
i announced to take place at 2 o'clock it
means that the horses are supposed to get
the word for the first race al that hour, and
they generally do"
The same protests against delays in trot-
ting events apply also. At st. Louis the
rule has been adopted that horses not VIM
ming heat in the first three heats will be
sent To the stable Ii is about time that the
irkSOme spectacle of three or four trutlerS
scoring for a heat for half an hour
should be done away with. Judges
of public support, insist on prompt
starts aud punish all jockeying sum-
marty.
A LOCAL BOARD OF CONTROL.
Perhaps as an adjunct in securing prompt
starts for running events here, the Eastern
plan of licensing jockeys and trainers could
be aisu adopted here. A Board Of Control
similar TO those in the East, could be form
by the Presidents of the Blood Horse, San
Jose, Oakland and MERGED clubs, and OF the
Stockton. Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles,
Chico and other agricultural societies.
Licensed Jockeys viii obAy starter S
orders much more obediently if they know
that serious consequences Will ensue if they
prove refractory. The plan would also be
an almost sure cure for dishonest riding.
Altogether, the idea is one that is entirely
practicable, and can do no harm if tried.
II should be Immediately adopted, before the
fall racing season sets in.
The English Derby will be run next
Wednesday, the 9th inst. Speaking of
Common, the winner Of the Two Thousand
! GuineaS, al English correspondent says /:
Not only is the animals breeding grand,
but he Is the very counterpart Of FL Rio
Rey, standing 10 hands IA inches, and be-
| ing all over a race-hOTse. The only weak
spot about him is his shoulders, and when
these fill out Common will only be so in
name. He has tue making of one Of the
gTandest animals | have ever seen, and if
he does not make a brilliant record this
year he Is sure to be heard from very much
as a four-year old" Common is now the
favorite for the Derby"
oLD-TIME TRAINING.
In an article contrasting the severe meth
DDS pursued years ago on training trotters
with the present enlightened plans the Chi
cagO HOrSemau says:
The hardship the olden trotters were CON-
PEELED to endure would have destroyed the
more gently nurtured trotting champions Of
to-day. Think OF Lady Sutton, so stiff and
lame as to he unable to take her daily track
exercise on land, ana who was therefore
trained by swimming her in Long Island
Sound to keep her complaining muscles in
order. Think Of the humane Hiram Wood
ruff having the infirm Widow Machree
lifted upon her feet in her invalid STALL and
first walked in her short cripple step, aud
then, as the blood more freely circulated
through her lnfirm limbs, having her pain
fully tagged, increasing the gait till she was
heated beyond the sense of PAIN and then
driving her a fOur-heat race of mile heats,
never allowing her to cool between the
heats lest the old chrome intirmities would
absolutely prevent her from starting in the
succeeding heats that she won in so much
agony, only TO be consigned TO her
invalid stall at the close COM
pletey Frustrated, never again to be able
| to wear harness in anotEer contest. Think
| of the bloOdlke Lady Suffolk driven by her
cruel nuLnnr RrN In q lnnnu racas q w aalE