The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-19
LAUGHING AT THE OUNCES
Horsemen Cannot Conceal Their Mirth
Over Fooling the Alleged Statesmen.
Robey Report Caused Much Surprise-Bud Do
bic on Winter Enthusiastically Rec
ord Sustained-0x Eye.

The report of the legislative investigat-
ing committee on the Robey race track
was somewhat of splitter" to horsemen
and people In general In that report the
committee says that 1t has found, on care
full Investigation. that the men owning and
controlling it are Of wealth and means out
side of horse-racing; that the people who
attend the track are of much the same
character as always attend such places.
and that it was an orderly. well-behaved
crowd. that no gambling except pool sell
Ing was going on; that the place was re-
markably free from thieves and toughs;
that public sentiment In that vicinity Is
largely In favor of the track remaining
there; that winter racing Is not brutal and
not tended to iDjure the horses, and that
the local officers are fully competent to
queIl any and all disturbances or questions
that may arise.
The innovation of winter racing seems to
be marked for censure all over the country.
There are at present seven winter tracks In
the country, follows: Gloucester. Gut
tenburg. New Orleans, Hawthorne, San
Francisco. Robey and st. Louis. All of
them have come In for more or less abuse.
and Gloucester and Gutenberg are In the
same boat with Robey. An Eastern paper
says:
There is no joy in Jersey over the introduction
In that state between Nov. L and April 1. The
horsemen now racing at GuttenburR ana -Glou-
rester are bitterly opposed to it, although the
proprietors of the Monmouth and Elizabeth
tracks look upon 1t with unfsigned pleasure. The
passage OF such a bill would be the fulhllment of
their most ardent expectations. and would leave
nothing TO be desired on their part The bill has
not been passed yet, and IL will not 30 through
without big fight.
Whether the attacks on these tracks are
simply the lighting of something new and
hOnored traditions of the turf, or the de-
termlned effort to GUST q practice that is
considered detrimental to all the best In
terests of the horse and the sport that is
gotten out OF him. remains TO be seen.
There Is a diversity of opinion as to wheth-
er racing In the cold Is harmful or cruel to
the beast. The RObey committee says that
the owners of the animals there claim that
tits less hard on them than working in ex-
tremelv hot weather. Others say that it
cannot possibly be so.
The following Is what Budd Doble, win
tering with his string of horses at Terre
Haute, has to say about the matter:
have been, from the nature OF my business
thrown in company with gamblers all my life,
but let them do the betting and L content my
self with what / can win in purses. | 20 to the
mostly with the tr0tters L DO not think that
running meeting could be given If il were not
for the revenue derived from the bOOkmaking;
but. with all true sportsmen, believe that this
Is not the time OF year to race horses, and such
racing Is not entitled to be classed with legiti-
mate sport
The row over the validity of Stamboups
record of 2:0712 seems to be pretty general
all over the country among trottng men.
It has been accepted by the National Asso-
ciati0n, and that Is considered by Siam.
bouPs owners To be final. Mr.. Allen. the
owner Of Kremlin, is the president of the
American Register Association, and while
he has been loath to have his horse de-
throned by the California stallion. is In
ciIned to be fair in the matter, and il il
now known that StambouPs record will
stand. Frank Convey. the manager of Sem
ator StanfOrd's stock farm and who was
one Of the three who held watches when
the stallion made bis mile, Is quoted as fol-
lows on the subject:
While was on my way East had two hours
lay-over ut Chicago. where was met by Joseph
Cairn simpson and President Allen, the owner
OF the stallion Kremlin. He is also president Of
the American Register Association, OF which q
man named Steiner is the secretary. OF course
Allen is greatly interested in not accepting
Stauibours record of 2:O7l2, as it knocks the
honal Tr0tting horse Association has accepted
the record. and is the parent association and
The inevitable. In fact, the rules of the Ameri-
can Register Association are based on those of
tne parent organization and the book of records
has as a preface that no record will be accepted
excepting it has first been granted by the Amer
lean Register Association, according to the rules
laid down by the National association.
The death of the Hon. Bruce Carr is one
deeply regretted by the horsemen of the
State. of whom he WAS one of the most
prominent. Great things were expected OF
his recent election to the secretary ship Of
the Indianapolis Driving Club. 1t being re-
lied upon that his energy and sagacity
would succeed in bringing to the city the
finest fields of horses for the seasons racin q
that ever raced ON Indiana SOIL. His cue
cessOr has not yet been chosen, but. how
ever capable he may be. he will find Bruce
Cars shoes ample and generous as the
man ever was. -.
The horse Starlight. which has been
heralded through the papers as "a ringer
because he won SO easily at Robey few
days ago. iss sIx-yesr-old geIding by Gull
loden. dam unknown. He started seven
times at East st. Lonis. ran second three
times. was unplaced three times. and left
at the post once. Pretty good record for a
ringer, and GOOdwin's Annual Turf Guide
Is authority for it.
Great Britain will have forty trotting
meetings the coming season.
Notes of HDrsas.