The morning call., 1893-10-09
TROTTING DELAYS.
Why Harness Races Are
Unpopular.
Tom Ryder Has a Split Tendon.
Horses in Training for the
Jumps.

OF course all running-hor owners are
contending that trotters are going to the
ding-dong bow-wows. and trottingmen
see q running race. 1t does seem as
though the gallopers are getting little the
best of it, although the harness brigade is
not willing to admit it.
All over the circuit this year the days
when there was a mixed programme saw
the largest attendance. and the betting was
always livelier on the runs than on the
rrots. There are a hundred reasons ad-
vanced for this. Leaving out the conten-
ton that running races are essentially more
interesting from an ordinary spectators
point of view, there is one cause that OF
itself would seem to produce prejudice
in the minds Of the public against harness
events. and that is the dilly-dally method
most Judges have of dispatching the pro-
gramme. Take for instance the combina-
ton race at Oakland on Saturday. That
race should have been sent off earlier in
the af ernOon.
1t was by far the most interesting on
the card. and people wanted To see II and
bet on it. By sheer pluck and endurance.
together with the skillful handling of his
TO win the race. Those who had bought
pool tickets on him were betting on his
staying qualities. and the result showed
that their judgment was correct. Bat
when RYDER had obtained two heats and
Shylnck two. it got so dark that the race
had TO be postponed. Ibis kn ocked out
all the calculations Of the supporters of
the latter horse. Now, by a reasonable
degree Of promDtness on the part OF the
judges this postpon ement might have been
prevented. 1t is the duty of those in the
stand TO protect every body. The Shylock
men on Saturday were not protected as
they should have been. OF course they
were dissatisfied. Those who had merely
taken an interest in the race. irrespective
Of the betting, were dissatisfied because
they were not able to see it brought to
conclusion on one day.
Perhaps the p0stpouement was due to
simple carelessness on the part OF the
judge. No one is prepared to question
The honesty of Wilfred Page or r. S.
Brown. who were In the stand. TOO often,
however, the delays are due to desire to
keep the crowd at the track so that more
drinks can be sold at the bar or that the
association may derive more benefit from
the sale of pools.
All of these things tend toward making
harBess-race unpopular, and many man
who formerly was their strong partisan
has turned from them in disgust and taken
up running horses.
The few people who were at the track
when the last heat was concluded on Sat-
urday saw Ryder pull up very lame 1t
was rumored sfterward that he had split
a tendon. Ii this is true Shylock should
have no trouble in winning.
Ben Wrights meeting. which begins at
Oakla next Monday. will give chance
to those horses who cannot expect to win
at the big meeting at the Bay District.
The purses will be small. but many
horse who is not OF the first quality will
get an opportunity to make expenses for
his owner. Mr.. Wright promises that the
races shall be run on the square, and he
may be able to carry out his promise.
Nearly every horse in the State that can
not run fast enough on the fiat to keep
himself warm is being trained to 60 over
the sticks, in anticipation of gathering in
the purses to be offered for the steeple-
chasers. Baden, Yokel. Guadalupe and
a lot of others are now in training. Some
Of them are doing very well, too. 1t is not
unreasonable to predict that there may be
developed star.
1t has been the case il score of In
stances that a horse who could not stay
for a mile on the level has turned into a
wonder at two or three miles over The
jumps.
Ottinger's horses will be here next Fri
day and will be put In charge of Johnny
Weber. Wildwood creates good i'm
preston in the East, although he did not
win very often. He is horse who will
not stand much moving around and whose
condition can never be depended on.