The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-29

Ter Dy person III pOsiuon % know tins
capacities Of the horses in the race, and It
generally goes wrong
W hen a straight tip ''spreadeagiesi
the field" the horse selected by the know
ing one runs away in front Andis never
caught by the other horses IN the race. II
the horse fights out race In game fashion
he is q slayer but IL he runs well part Of
the way and then falls back be "stops" or
''curls up" A "maiden" is a horse Of either
sex that has never won a race, and a sell
ing platter" is an animal entered in a race to
be sold at stated price II he wins When
a horse is running q series Of good races be
is in FORM" and If bad be is "short OF
work" or "stals." A jockey "gets Off wellr
when he takes the lead with his horse at the
start, or he is left at the postn when the
flag falls and the other horses run away
from him.
These and thousand other things are 60
be known to the follower Of the turf II he
wishes TO be in touch with his surroundings
and not frank outsi Ter"
To the outsider the talk Of the turf is as
complex aud unIntelligibe as the jargon Of
q Chinese wash house soiree after the gin
has gone around. Every sport and spe-
clalty has its vocabulary, but the turf's
slang is more ve led and picturesque than
any language talked upon earth. That Is
why the turf reporter, who is supposed to
tell his readers all about 1t next day, finds
Il so hard TO explain to them in his own
words just how a race was run and won.
The other day there was a race at the BAY
District, IN which St. Croix, one of the
horses, was pulled back by his Jockey so
that he could not win. In half dozen Jour-
mails he was spoken Of as being stopped
stiff .n"yauked," "1xed,n dead" wasn't
out for the stuff" wasn't wanted "got
at" etc. The layman who read all the
articles did not know whether st. Croix
had been Ill or whether somebody had
simply shot him as he was going to the post.
A jockey employs curious tongue to tell
how he did or did not win. In his peculiar
way be would tell you that he had the
mount on duffer who was long shot in
the betting and a bad actor at the post The
event was a handicap and he was in at the
top weight. When the flag fell he got going
In his stride while the other kids we're Sleep
ing, aud. stabbing the steel into his mount.
he shot to the front. Under drive he
made all the running. In the stretch SO
and so challenged him. His mount swerved,
but he pulled his bat and went at him He
rode all over his horse and took the last
link out of him, but he shut up like Jack
knife at the draw-gate and was oollared In q
rafting finish and beat O short head, though
he got the place with good money against
him.
Told in ordinary phrase the boy meant to
say that the horse which he rode in a GER
tain race was neither fast nor a coura-
geous animal, and that his chances Of win
ming we're considered 30 small by the betting
public that very heavy odds were bet against
his chances. He was excitable and did not
start kindly when he was taken TO the start
ing point, but displayed his temper by
backing aud kicking, and such other demon
STATIONS of a wicked temper. 1t was a race
in which the weights that the horses carried
were allotted according TO the public esti-
mate Of their respective abilities, and the
particular horse had the heaviest weight to
carry because he had run good races
When the horses got the signal to start by
the dropping of the red flag, the particular
Jockey had started his horse SO that he was
at full speed while the other Jockeys had
their horses at no more than a cRnter. The
jockey pricked his animal with bis spurs,
and the horse ran past the others and took
the lead. The rider was squirting and
whipping and other wise urging his horse all
the way, and being In front he established
the rate Of the running, whether fast or
slow, the other horses following according
to the pace. When they reached the last
quarter of the course, 30 and 80 came mp
from behind and made persistent effort TO
get ahead OF the leAder.a = --.---
. The first horse gave way under the hard
running and swung off to one side. The
rider drew his whip and used il severely on
the horse. To further urge him to bis best
efforts he spurred him and squeezed him
with his knees. Under such severe treat
ment the horse put forth his best speed for
awhile, but at the gate he wavered and be-
gan to slow up. The other horse then came
up on even terms with him, passed him and
was first at the goal beating the contend
nF-h no
OF horses head. The horse that ruus in
second position as the end of the race is said
to be 'in the place." and the bookmakers
bet so much that a horse will not run first
or second and sometimes third. Good
money against means that the odds bet
that he would not run second were favor
able to the better.
The jockey tells the story in half the
words which a layman would use in ex-
planning low race was won, and tells IL
much better II you know his phrasing. Just
so turf slang Is used In all sorts Of talk
around the stable. When a horse is cotn-
pletely exhausted at the end or finish" OF
a race he is ''all out" II he Is not ex hausted
he had something left In him." BE is a
GUTTER IL he lacks courage. When he
finishes poorly he ''goes all to pieces :" and
is dead beat" when he comes In behind
putting and blowing When he wins "run-
uinK away OF Will us IuOuLQ open" or
Tin hand" a horse wins easily with his
jockey pulling him back to the other horses
Sleeper" is an animal of merit that is
sprung upon the public unexpectedly and
who wins at long odds. ~
When racer is ailing from any cause he
goes amiss" or ''goes Off or .'goes wrong
He is "dickeyn when his legs are IN danger
Of giving way from the strain of hard
work. The stretch" is the last quarter of
the track; that part which leads straight TO
the wire or finish. The ''ordsr In the
stretch" is the order of the horses In the
race at that particular part Of the track
"Out for the dust" and tout for the stuff
are Synonymous. ION velvet" is the happy
condition of man who is ahead on his
wagers for the day or the season. An
"outsider" is q horse that is not expected 30
win, and an outsider" Is generally sup
posed to be "outolassed. " He gives the
talent" or betting people, dump when
be wins and defeats the favorite or first
choice horse. "Sprinters' are horses that
race only at short distances, and a "dis-
tance of ground" means at q mile or over.
"Derby distance" is a mile and a half.