Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-30
GOSSIP Of THE TURF AND TRACK
The Great StambOul Is Again
Coming Into Form.
Kite-Shaped Records, as Compared
With Regulation Tracks.
Some Old Time Four-Niile Races in the
Sunny south-Black Maria the
Only Winner Of q Twenty
Mile Race.

Sunny south-Black Maria the
Only Winner of q Twenty
Mile Race.
The pages containing my comments on
racing and trotting matters had gone to
press before Stamboul, 2 I'LL, reduced his
record to 2:1014, which he did on the
kite track at Stockton on Saturday last.
There was nothing to favor the horse in
this trial except his old driver, Walter
Maben, who always could get more out
of him than either Goldsmith or Hickok,
who had charge of him after he left
Rosemeade. Everything else was
against him. He did a big season
this year, was very gross when
taken up, and there was a high
wind prevailing at the time. Wal
ter's hands were almost numb when he
.dismounted from the sulky, but the
horse had got three-quarters Of second
off his record already; and, if the
weather holds good, expect to see him
at least tie the 2 :08I of Palo Alto. He
certainly had more speed than the dead
hero Of the tall pine, whether he could
sustain the supreme effort as long or
not. Had Walter Maben been trans-
ferred with the horee to Hobart farm in
1889, there is no doubt in my mind but
he would have placed the stallion record
at 2:08 or better long ere this. Since
the above was in type, the prediction is
verified, Stamboul having gone in :08L
and broken the worlds record for stall
lions.
x*x
Did you ever 60 to record meeting :?
If not, you have no desire to see one un-
less you are breeder or q trainer. To
the ordinary spectator it is the dullest
and most uninviting of exhibitions.
would not 60 mile to see one, even on
regulation track, for have always
known that some horses can stop
watch in faster time than others. But
when you come to put it on kite track,
where the horse goes right away from
you at the start and comes right back to
you at the finish, head on, it is the most
stupid sight one ever saw. Moreover, it
10 delusion. Some horses trot very
fast on kite, as compared with regu-
lation track, more particularly such
long gated horses az Balkan and Nc
Kinney. Iappend table of last years
kite performances on the Stockton kite,
to show the reductions made:
.,ts iaA Previous. Kite Rec.
auiooyby Director .2;201 2:i7Z
Electgici,y. BY Klectioneer. 2;22 2:l7X
Balkan, BY NJ Nam; q; Milaes: 2:s5K 33:1S
Coeur d. Alene, by d. Bradf0rd.2:25 2:19L
Mckinney. BY Alcyone. ~. Ely 2:1x1
This gives q fair idea of how long
striding horses beat their oval track rec
ords when they strike kite. A record
meeting at the Los Angeles track would
be, in it's present condition, something
of revelation.
The Breeder and Sportsman of last
week says that the Glencoe mare
Charmer, the third dam of Emperor of
Norfolk, ran 20 miles to win four-mile
race, which is neither true nor wholly
false. The only four mile race in which
five heats were actually run was the one
on Long Island in which Black Maria
defeated Slim, Trife and Lady Relief,
Black Maria taking the first and fifth
heats and Lady Relief being then her
only contestant. Slim was dis
tanced in the second, which was
q dead heat between Lady Relief and
Trife. Trife took the third heat and
was distanced in the fousth, won by
Lady Relief. Maria won the final heat,
and Lady Relief died from exhaustion.
In the Charmer race che won the third
heat, but was beaten in the fourth by q
neck. The horse that won it (Louis
dor, if l recollect aright) cramped
80 badly that he was withdrawn, and
nothing could start against Charmer for
the fifth heat. But she did not run for
the heat, but cantered slowly over the
course.
Speaking of Charmer, reminds me OF
the only time ever saw her. 1t was in
three mile race with Wade Hampton
at Mobile. The geldine was an over
powering favorite and, after the first was
run, Mr.. Patterson begged for permits.
sion to draw his mare. The judges de-
cided the mare could be Withdrawn il
lame, but such not being apparent, they
compelled her to start again. just as
they did so, drenching shower
swept over the track and Wade
began to recollect that he had cosy
stall with lots of clean straw in 1t. So
when he got opposite the gate egress ol
the track he made rush for it, but the
gate-keeper slammed it in his face
Wade didn't want any more race, how.
ever, but stood there fighting his rider
ed Thompson) till the race was over
and Charmer had won. Charmer wal
never beaten at three-mile heats. and
won either fourteen or fifteen races al
that distance,
There were three Sovereign mares
running about the time OF that fve-hea'
race OF old Charmer's. Two of them were
in that very race, but which two have
forgotten. These mares were Ann Dunn
by Sovereign, out OF Reel, and there
fore an own sister to Prioress, that wor
the Cesarewitch Belle Key, a BAY
mare owned in Alabama, and La Vrail
Refine, owned by Captain Minor of Mis-
(, eissippi. This last named one was tn,
only one ever saw. She had flaz
name and tail and is claimed to hav,
been the only chestnut that Sovereign
ever got. One of these two Sovereign
mares fell in the race, breaking her le,
and being shot soon aftefward. All
know of the race is what Col. Jacl
Gambill told me about it, nearly Al
years ago.
x*x
It now comes down to q question o
eight horses whether the male line Q
the famous Lexington shall become ex
tinct or not. Four of these -Gano. Ver