Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-24
HIGH-BRED HORSES.
THE PRINCE OF CHARTERS" AND
HIS PAY ON NEW YORK COURSES.
Winter Racing as 0ustsnburg--"Jimmy"
Rows's Horssy Casssr-Hfs Opinion OF
Blsckburn-waldsn's o35, 900 Year.

OF racing associations can an0rd 10 pay an
individual $4,000 year for starting
horses ct their meetings II ought to give
the public an intImation that race-track
is peculiarly profitable institution. This
is the sum which the Hudson-County
Jockey Club and the Saratoga Association
have contracted to pay ]. f. Caldwell, who
Is generally referred to by the newspapers
as the Prince of Starters The bulk OF
Caldwelrs work under this liberal con-
tract will DO done at Guttenburg. the hill
top track back of Hoboken, where
winter racing" has for some time
bloomed like the flowers in spring.
as IL were. The best features OF SUM-
day school are wholly absent at Gutten-
burg, and some people have said that
man is afforded more fine facilities for
losing his money therethan heis in making
investments with the Louisiana Lottery
Company or taking chances with the gem
tlemsnly keeper of a faro-bank. The
weather il hardly factor in Guttenburg
racing. The horses-whether halt, lame.
Or blind--ars expected to start even If
ice Is being cut on the track at the time.
Perhaps this is the reason they. re-
quire such high-priced starter" IL
isn't every man who would care to start
horses uuder such conditions, and when
one is found who will do 1t his services
command handsome figure. When
gambling concern like Guttenburg
can be one of two associations TO pay a
starter" more than twice as much as 10
paid to the Chief Justice OF the United
States, and as much az the President form
erly received. il would seem to be time for
the public to hedge in its bets. Caldwell,
who is nearly sixty Years OF age, IS Ia
miliar figure about race-tracks and sport
Ing resorts. He has grown stout and very
gray since he began his present career at
Brighton Beach in 1882. Since that time
he has handled the flag in every city In
the couatry that boasts of a frst-class
course. As Mr.. Caldwell once remarked
of himself: Judging by the salary have
received my services have been appreci-
ated." For some time after this Prince
of Starters" began 10 fiutter the red silk
he would insist upon owning horses that
were TO start in his races and II required a
great deal Of bitter criticism on the part
Of the newspapers and tho betting public
to induce him TO give 1t up. Mr.. Caldwell
claims that no horse in which he had an
interest ever had the advantage in
race because of that fact, and |
have no doubt this ia true. Still
it always made talk" and his friends
were glad when he gave up and concen-
trated his talents entirely upon the start.
unswayed by any possible interest he
might have in the stop. Caldwell rides to
and from the races in a carriage. lives at
one of the uptown hotels, spends his
money freely and indirectly the betting
public pays the freight He is Ken
tuckian by birth and his dialect Is that OF
the intense soutbron. Last summer, when
he wore asuit of gray tweed. patent-leather
"A ar md
swung dude cane he was about as pleasant
an object physically rs you would wish to
look upon.
FREDERICKSBURG BOY.
When Caldwell forsook the so-called
legitimate race-course in this vicinity and
went over TO the Guttenburg crowd his
place was very soon filed by Jimmy"
Rowe. It isn't very many years ago that
Rowe had charge of the cigar-stand in q
hotel in fredericksburg Va, where te was
born. Like most boys IN Virginia town
he had hankering for the race-track. His
widest dream has no doubt been more
than realized, a. no has now risen to the
height Of a trainer. owner. and starter, his
salary In the latter capacity beng 900 a
day. To be sure he does not receive this
for the year. but the compensation he
will receive fof his services with the
flag will net him much more for the
year than any but the ablest lawyers
or most skilful physicians can earn.
Rowe's chief success on the turf has
been as trainer. For three years he was
trainer for the late August Belmont and
developed some of the best horses of that
famous stable. Among these flyers were
Raceland, who carried of the Suburban
stakes in 1889. Prince Royal. Lady Prim-
rose. Fides, Lady Margaret. and La
Tosca Rowe has rubbed against some
very good horses in his time and has had
much TO do with developing their great
ness. Looking back on all OF them, he
gives 1t az his opinion that Luke Black
burn was the grandest race-horse he ever
trained or had any knowledge Of. There
IS no doubt that Rowe will make a success
as a professional starter. He has officIated
in this capacity before and has got along
creditably with some very difficult fields.
$4,000 YEAR FOR A TRAINER.
All the big money on the turf does not
go to the starters and the men who hold
stock in the associations Take Wyndham
Walden, for instance. grave and Judicial III
aspect, who during the past few years has
been training for j. A. AID A. II. Morris.
Walden is also Vrginisq; and, like the
horses he trains, he boasts tRat he comes
of "raolng stock" as'iks$ather was in
the same business bef6E him. Like
Jimmy" Rowe. he began AS a boy
about the stable, finally donning the
coveted silk of the jockey. and when he
got too heavy to ride betook himself to
| training. His contract with Morris and
| son Is worth to him about $4,000 annual
| ly. which Is considerably more than any
other trainer earns. Hs receives fixed
| salary of "A. 900 year and percentage OF
| the winnings. afiording him an aggregate
income as above. he was formerly trainer
! for Mr. George Lorillard, and while in
| charge of this stable developed the won
derful Sensation the horse that as two
year-old won eight straight stake races. IL
was Walden that brought out the speedy
Tom Ochiltiee and the Duke of Magenta.
and there are some horses in the Morris
stables at the present time OF which great
deal is expected.
THE PUBLIC PAYS.
There are jockeys who earn in the course
of the year half as much as the President
of the United States. and for ell these luxu-
rious incomes on the turf the meek but
speculative American public pays the bills.
| And the large sums which are being paid
| for horses indicate that there Is a
belief in sporting circles that 1t will keep
on paving them. While 1t has been ques-
toned that Malcolm Forbes paid Sl5O,OOO
| tor Arion, the phenomenal two-year trot-
| ter, | see nothing unlikely in the story.
Mr.. Forbes has the money to make such
an investment. and it is well known that he
| has vaulting ambition IN the matter OF
| yachts and fast trotters. 81. Blalse was
| knocked down at public sale at 100000
| and the horses that sell for $4,000 10 So ;.
QUO are becoming quite common. And
that large part Of the public possessed Of
| the hallucination that il can beat tie
book-makers at their own game settles the
| score in the end.
THE VALUE or NAMES.
Mr. Robert Bonner's recent sale OF trot-
| ting stock, extensively advertised as bred
| by Bonner" and on bis own farm, was not
| a remarkable financial success. This only
| shows that man may De famous as q
| trotting- horse owner. driver, and even
| shoer-for Mr.. Bonner claims 10 be the
| only man in America who understands a
| horses feet, and knows how horses should
| be shod-and not DO notably successful As
O breeder. 1t was Dir. Bonners first
sale, and the horses, with one OF
| two exceptions, brought only fairly
| good prices. That the sale attracted at
| tention at all was only because il was
Bonners." and this illustrates the
value Of mere name. Yet il is the know.
ledge. or appreciation rather, Of the worth
Of names as names that was the foundation