The herald., 1893-09-25
GOSSIP ABOUT HORSES.

apace. Without doubt the race meet
ing in this city this year win be the
most successful one yet held, as the per-
sonnel of the horses entered insures this
fact. The track will be fast; the purses
offered liberal; and the horses named a
sufficient guarantee that the events will
be interesting. Los Angeles race-goers
are discriminating class, however.
They want to see horse racing and not
hippodroming, and have enough conf
dence in the judges and men having the
matter in charge to expect to ace only
honest sport.
The state fair meeting only recently
closed cannot be termed success. With
out doubt men grossly incompetent oc-
cupied the important position OF judges
and made themselves odious to every
lover OF the sport. The meeting In point
OF attendance was success, considering
the state of the finances OF the country (;
the entries good; the time made excel
lent, and in some cases phenomenal,
considering the track and yet how few
will say the meeting was what it could
have been. That is what every meeting
should be. Make it the best. The odium
that is attached to the race course could
be largely removed If the management
30 desired. See to it that good men and
true are judges-men who knowing their
duty will see that it is enforced--and
horse racing will be much more popu-
lar sport than 1t now is. l have every
confidence in the management OF our
association. The prospects, for great
meeting were never brighter. Let the
feir directors see to it that the meeting
| of 1898 will be made q memorable one
by the event, and one which any one
| can point to as being dead square,"
-. 9f
When the worlds fair meeting OF the
Northwestern Trotting and Racing
Horse Breeders association came to a
close in the white city on the 10th OF
this month it marked an epoch in horse
racing in this country. Nancy Hanks
had her day, as did Directum and
| Flying Jib, and while the three crack
| horses failed to make new records, they
| delighted the crowds. But the central
| figure of the entire meeting was the
free-for-all trot for purse of $15, 900.
Ten great horses faced the wire, and it
was only after the ninth heat had been
trotted that the contest was decided.
The honors then rested on Alix, a 5-year-
old by Patronage-Atlanta by Attorney.
This mare won the first heat in 2:0734,
the fourth heat in 2:1l34 and the ninth
heat in 2:0924. Speaking OF her victory
the Chicago lnter-Ocean says: "Alix'H
title to the name of champion rests
upon no single burst of speed against
the watch. She has trotted the fastest
mile ever made in race. She has won
by over six seconds the fastest ninth
heat ever trotted. She has won the
| greatest race in history. She has the
credit OF the fastest three winning heats
in race of any trotter irrespective Of
age or sex. She has the fastest
record ever made by 5-year-
old trotter, and today she has a record
one and quarter seconds faster than
Nancy Hanks had at the same age.
These are plainly stated facts. Her VIC
tory over the field of great trotrers in
this rich stake was most popular one.
More 30, perhaps, from the fact that
her owners, Morris ]. Jones and Ed
ward Hayes, the latter president OF the
| Globe Savings bank Of this citv, are not
men who patronlze the pool box, but
belong to the class of breeders who ele-
vate the trotting industry by their con-
nection with it. Had some game Sport
like Frank Noble, of Alcryone fame ,
owned Alix and had her in this Tace he
would have cleaned up an independent
fortune. There were several noteworthy
features connected with this race. nFive
different horses won the heats. Not
only was the first heat the fastest on
record, but this race also furnishes the
fastest sixth, seventh, eighth and 'hinth
heats ever trotted. The nine heats
were at an average of 2:11.03. and it is
by long odds the fastest nine heat race
on record.
Joseph Calm Simpson, in speaking of
the PAGERS of California. very truly eays: :
mot 30 far behind the fast PAGERS OF
the east are W. Wood and Diablo as to
establish the idea of being too far in the
rear to offer an argument. 1t may be
chat Flying Jib has so far recovered
from the shade that has darkened his
brilliant career as to be rated the fore
most of them all, but after making due
allowance for the slowness of the state
fair track, it must be admitted that the
two young horses named will be COM
pany for the best. And it can be as-
cured, upon good grounds, that the
races already paced will be beneficial,
and that with the mellow October days
there will come an increase of speed and
stamina. 1t was reported in Sacra-
mento on the day the free.for-all pace
commenced that Diablo had "sprung q
curb" and there was another version
which said the ailment was OF longer
standing, but had first become trouble
some at that time.
In all probability both stories were
started for the purposes of influencing
the betting, and the first two heats in
2:0S1s and 2:091s, in which he was
''close up" at the finish, on a track
which had been used for racing the day
before. dispose Of the curb canard, or, at
least, prove that it was of the harmless
kind. When Boston waB beaten by
Fashion, in by far the best race, heats
OF four miles, run up to that date and
for long time thereafter. the mare had
one of these ailments, and there have
been numerous instances when these
protuberances have done little, If any
harm. The three races which Diablo
has taken part in, and all of which he
has won, show that he ia an improving
horse, and ins my opinion there is
scarcely doubt that his subsequent
races will be still better. That Wood ia
gaining is beyond question. The all
ment which has troubled him 30 long
was not 80 bad as tho medicine given to
check it, and with powders and potions
tabooed he will have an improved show.