The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-06
GOSSIP OF HORSE AND TURF
Associations Will Charge a Larger Per-
centage for Entries Next Season.
]. Malcolm Forbes, owner of Nancy Hanks,
Offers $4,000 as Prize for Two
Minute Trotter-Track Notes

It requires little more than q hint nova
days to revolutionize affairs Custom is
not the supreme dictator here that 1t is in
European countries. A good idea comes
quickly to the front, if miles and miles OF
sewer-pipe have to be unearthed to give it
a resting place. This is as true in the
horse kingdom as it is otherwhere. A bad
idea or principle Is abandoned as quickly
as Q sinking ship. A number of
the race-meetings held this sum-
mer over the United States have
proven unsuccessful financially. This is
owing to the 5 per cent. universally
charged. and 30 the majority have con-
Guided to raise it to 10 per cert. This will /,
Of course. have tendency to diminish the
entries, but it will Improve the races. The
10 per cent. charges will hold at all of the
meetings over the land except. perhaps in
California. The Columbia Tenn, meetin e
dissolved after it's first day, and is the
latest example of the 5 per cent
charges. The Lexington. KY, races
were failure. The Nashville meet
ing was . little better. and man y
others were not success. 1t is gratifying
to note the interest in horses and tracks
over the Hoosier State, in the face OF the
possible failure of this city IS q racing
center. Muncie will soon complete an
elegant mile track and will draw the inter-
ests of horsemen in that direction. The
rumOr has lately been verified that parties
In this city have been cooperating with
others of Jacksonville. Fla, for q ninety
days race meeting in that city, beginning
Dec. /. Arrangements have been consum-
mated and the meeting will be held.
There Is no end to comment on record
breakers or to the universal HON age paid
to the kings and queens of the turf to-day.
George Stare Is of the opinion that the two
minute mile 10 to be trotted by three
year-old. The bike sulkey is conceded to
be- by all horsemen, from three to five SEQ
onds petter than the Old XII nd. While
Nancy Hanks made her 2:O4 time with the
former vehicle. it is asubject of some doubt
as to whether or not she has really
beaten the Maud s. 2:OSas time.
SO goes the opinion among Maud
S. admirers. At any rate, it
seems that Mr. j. Malcolm Forbes is
anxious to see the animal that can strike
tlal Nancy Hanks can't quite do it her
self. Mr. Forbes has offered sc. 600 to the
first horse that reaches that mark on a reg
ulation track. 1T seems to me-" said Mr..
5000 purse offered By MT. Robert Bonner
were not complied with, and no claim
should be made for it. He stipulated that
on one OF the Grand Circuit
time tia to f be present. Neither % Of these was
done by MIR. Doble. and therefore he. as
driver, and i, as owner, OF Nancy Hanks,
| have no claim for his $4,000. If it were
true. as stated, that Mr.. Bonner withheld
ha hac he Ia ffQrr IN n
bicycle sulky. should be much surprised.
| as Mr.. Bonner ought to have known when
| he made the offer that the increase in
speed was going to be made IN the fnt-
| ure. as it has been in the past. by i'm
| provement' IN pedigree. Improvement in
| track, sulky and harness. and improve
| ment In handling"
| Though Mr.. Forbes owns the queen of
| sportsman and longs for friendly rivalry. as
will be seen BY his letter. dated Naushon
| leland, to the Spirit of the Times:
| Believing. a. l do. that In the near
!uture mile will be trotted IN two minutes.
| but knowing that it can be only the result
| of the best judgment in breeding. educating
ana driving the horse that accomplish s
| the wonderful feat, wish now to offer, ms
| q reward for such skill, the sum of six
! thousand dollars lS5, 0OO), one-haif to 90 to
the owner of the horse and one half to the
| driver, subject to the following conditions:
| my offer holds good for the rest of the
season of '92 and for the i've years follow
| ing, If live. The mile to be trotted over q
| regulation track belonging to the National
| or American Trotting ASSOCIATION, and SIT
/ uated cast of the Mississippi river. The
| trial to be made under the rules of the Ma
| tional Association. Notice to be given In
| writing that the trial Is to be made before
/ hand, 80 that can have time to 90 to the
| place and see the event. or send a repre-
| sentative. The driver can avail of all i'm
/ provements in track, in harness,
/ or in sulky. Trials for this purse
/ only open to horses in the POS class.
/ make the condition of an Eastern track
/ only because want to see the trial without
| going too far. and not from any prejudice
/ to tracks further West. take it for grant
ed that the horse that will make o two.
/ minute record will come to it by successive
| stages, and before the five years have
passed there may be several horses that
| have q record of 2:O5 OF better. and it will
be from one Of those that the two-minute
| mark will be reached. and not BY some 2:1(
| horse suddenly attaining phenomenal speed
on the day OF trial. A further reason fol
opening this purse to the 205 class alone II
| in order that shall not receive constant
| notices of trials to be made by Oversan
| guine owners whose horses have really M
| chance of trotting in two minutes"
| Notes.
The speedy Meachum Will be kept O.
| LaPorte this winter.
1 or ~ In