Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-10
SANTA MONICA'S DAY.
SPORTS OF THE NEWCOMERS OF
CALIFORNIA; BIRTHDAY.
A Gathering of Graziers and Grangers
at the Seaside Course-A Free
Gate and Half y Dozen
Spirited Races.

Spirited Races.
If there are any two portions of Cali
fornia that are more essentially British
than another, those are the delta of the
Kern, near Bakersfield, and the neigh
borhood of Santa Monica, in this
county. The true Briton differs from
the Yankee in his aversion to city
life. He wants little home, with good
ehade trees. fairly good barn, and a
horse that can gallop. The buggy is
secondary consideration with him, and,
if he happens to be bachelor, he has
no use for one in the world. Give
him good, easy s'loper," and the
average globe-trotter who comes here
to plant the vine and fig tree is
we'll contented to plod along and keep
up with the procession as best he may.
The dangerous, but fascinating, game
Of polo, which was fret played by the
British Grsgoons In India, has over
spread three continents, but Santa.
Monica is the only place where it has
yet obtained foothold on these Pacific
shores. Given score of devil-may care
Britishers, mounted on sturdy little
ponies about thirteen hands high, and
they will go through series of evolu-
tions that would turn gray the hair of a
buffalo Bill" or ''Texas Jack" within
an hour. 1t is dangerous sport, but it
is nothing to race of men who have
been breaking their collar-bones over
their fathers fences for the past seven
centuries.
The British colonists at Santa Monica
do not altogether forget the Gath Of
May, but they do give great little race
meeting on the 9th of September, the
day which commentaries California's q
admission into the sisterhood of states
Their racing is confined chiefly to the
understood horses upon which they do
their stock-riding. The rules by which
these are classified, are very simple.
inches) is q pony. Anything between
fourteen and fifteen hands, is gallo
way. And anything over fifteen hands
(60 incnes) is a horse. In this way it
will be seen that the pony racing frater-
nifty of colonists, have their choice of
running by weight for age, weight for
inches, or handlcaps.
The man who has ever visited
country race-mee ting in the "back
blocks" of Australia, has seen just
about such sights as characterize the
pony meetings held on the little six
furlong course at Santa Monica. Here
we're the buggies OF the richer farmers,
the "straw ride" wagons of the newer
corners and the road carts in which the
bachelor owners of small ranches rode
along.
The day was an ideal one. A light
fog overhung the bay, but the sunlight
| danced over the waves and the eea
sparkled in Q silvery sheen. The heat
was tempered down perceptibly by the
| fog and the dust was not deep enough
to be disagreeable. The two first races
were over early but the third was
mixed race of mile and repeat, for
| trotters and PAGERS. The favorite was a
PAGER called Joe w, while horee called
Lemons, driven by John Reynolds was
second choice. The outsider was good
looking brown stallion called Stamboul,
| III. He was very green, and lit was his
first appearance in race. The start
WAS very even one, but both Joe and
Lemons broke as the flag fell and ran
considerable distance. Joe w won
in straight heats; time, 2:55 each heat,
and Stamboul III was third each
time. The driver of Lemons complained
that mis- horse was doHed, and said he
could beat the race on the Los Angeles
track for 5000 side, but up to the time
of leaving the course he had not put
up anything on it. A mile heat race, on
a three quarter mile track, is comical
sight in one respect and an exciting one
in another, for the horses pass the wire
| twice in each heat.
The betting was email, and far from
being satisfactory, as there was no pool
1 hrw M honk kvv7a boz IN tho orn nd
| They had an apology for pari-mutuel
box, which charged just whatever it
liked and made return of $285 for
each So invested.
SUMMARIES.
Miramar handicap, u of a mile.
4. g. Moodhouse's b. "a. Boadicea, 16O lbs y. i
= 4 proctofs Toangs ch n b. Fsss kes 14o ~
Santa Claus, Fancy, Twilight and Daisy also
ran. Time, 4 81.
G. L. Warnings ch g. Pichi, 40 lbs.
A. B. Perrys b. m Belle, l65 lbs. .............2
J. B. ProctoI's CHI. h. Rex, 160 tbs ..........3 8
CigaTetaSs' DS' Tomtit' sheila and Fancy also ran
Tiaslow polo p pony cs; Sscs Sa q e. mile
F. CARERS gS : twilight w 'esi ies tbs so
Oh. m Daisy and b. N. Belle also ran. Time,
Arcadia stakes, for .trotters and PAGERS, mile
| and repeat, in harness.
| w. Whitakers b. g. Joe w. (pacer) ........1 i
| L. Whitaker's br. 8. Lemons ..........-.....2 Q
j. Chapman's br, 8. Ssamboul II ..........-3 3
Time, 2:55, 2:55.
Consolation race, 44O yards
| G l.. Mands gr. m. Dawn .....................1
J. Parker's CHI. M Daisy. y......................2 Q
j. Machel's b. G. Tomtit ...............-..... 3
Time, 1870.
The hurdle race is said to have besn
the closest contest seen on any Southern
| California track for some time. The
winner is reported to have made q leap
| prematurely, but did so without break
! ing his stride. and, in clearing the obsta-
Gle. it is claimed, jumped twenty feet,
which is something enormous for 60
/! email q horse. There was nobody hurt.