New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-25
HARNESS RACING GOSSIP.
WHY THE SULKIES LACK PATRONAGE IN
THE LARGE CITIES.
THE PUBLIC WANT SHORTER RACES AND THE
HoRsEMEN WILL NOT SUPPLY THE DE-


MANp-RECENT ATTEMPTS AT RE
FORM IN THE OLD RULES.
II "a n little more than twenty three years since
the first set OF rules was made for harness r"o's'
and though the sport itself has advanced very u''
the conditions under which II Is cohouc'e" nav,
varied little whether this adherence TO old me'hou
,s tho direct cause or not the fact Is indspu'aoe
that this native American rastime no longer ura"'
the crowd In the large cities. In the me'ropo"''
while there are thousands who own good roads'ers
ana many more who are partial 10 'h' uo'''i'' ''
opportunities for seeing the crack performers are ic"
Not since 1856 has a worlds record been maze III
harscss at any OF the tracks near New1orh' anu INV
chances for revival OF the old days are slight fU'
sdelphia has two weappointcd driving PARIS Du'
the mass OF pleasure seekers does not support ''c
regular meetings. At Baltimore there mas Deeh So'V
thing OF revival In the past year or two but even
this has not given to the trotters anything ike al
adequate support. Att, .,,,.
a, n snort which once brought people by tens Oh
thousands to the tracks In or near the lrec r'SV'
cities, but there has been no consensus Vi oP."o'
OH the subject. few kcensighted turi"eh nav
suggested that the contests of heats. particularly 'e
regulation three In FIVE are not In llne WIFI NV
modern spirit OF quick action. either iof money vi
fame ANY attempt make races In light harnes,
shorter has raised storm OF opposition winch ms
nut out the fire Of REFORM and today the ruics VI
half u century ago seem as strongly m'fehoh'" do
ever. 1880
Occ.s,orolr thcrc is n ftful attempt to do some-
thing that will tend TO make the suhies more pop
mar but the ranks OF the conservatives are 'oo
strong for any innovation when mas YET oce" S"s
Cested. So much Odium has arisen from the droPp'ps
OF heats that an effort was made last winter 10
shorten the distance and thus make 1t more difficult
for the drivers to . what Is called laying up me
conference held this city last FEBRUARY CUM
posed OF delegates from the National ana America"
associations seemed thoroughly appreciauVe Vi inc
situation and there was little or no opPosiooh l"
the proposed amendment which would reduce inc
distance to about half what 1t is at present Wheh
the conference adjourned to meet NJ 'hcaeo Ill
MAY the Question was discussed at great length Ill
the turf papers, the breeders. owners ana drivers
beng almost q unit against the change THIS scared
the managers OF the driving parks. ana wheh INC
associations were asked TO pass upon the amend
ment they promptly decided to stick by the old
rule.
As a matter Of fact the National Trotting Assocla
ton is virtually dominated by the handful OF men,
bers who compose the Grand Circuit, ana us poh'!
as surely dictated by them as Tammany Hall sway'
the political affoirs OF NewYork. Up to the time
the stewards OF the Grand Circuit met at Rochester
on NAV "a the president and other leaders oil Inc Nd
+,ona Association seemed In favor Of reducing the dis
tonce A special session Of the congress OF tha'
body had been ordered by the executive so that 'he
rules could be altered in time to take ehect '"'S
season. Then the stewards passed set oil reSoions
with the Detroit Association alone dissenting when
declared the proposed change "as nimcal 10 tro'uhs
sport an unjust hardship to patrons OF the turf VINO
nav entrance money detrimental TO the business OF
associations and then that the spectators might not
he entirely ignored there an appendix tDa lEis
was productive OF tame racing, thereby dePrNihH
the public who pay at the gate oil spirited anu en-
citing contests" The present system under "hlch
comparatively slow horse take II easy III nc
we'll exhausted,
them at his mercy. not only "deprives the public 81
spirited AMI exciting contests" but has closed up
more than track. 1t is notorious fact ihat
even in the Grand Crcui, there are associations which
have deficit every year. -Four hours are as long as
the average crowd cares to remain for the most eX
citing sport yet in the summer circuit II an every
day occurrence to keep the horses hard at IT from
five TO seven hours.
Another striking example Of how thoroughly the
owners and trainers welded 10 old customs has
been furnished in the Eastern Circuit. which was
organized this spring and designed 10 include some
Eve meetings through New England Al Franklin Park
near Boston, where the circu began the lessee Of the
track James o. Gray, live Wriman. made the
classes all best two in three heats. Instead OF
supporting him and giving the new plan n trial. tie
horsemen with few exceptions refused TO MAKE
entries. that there were only enough classes TO
occupy two days. The contests during that time
were enjoyable and drew larger patronage than
usual TO Franklin Park. This did not open the eyes
Of the old fogcs. and when the Narragansett Park
Association at Providence offered sixteen classes
the two and three plan, for meeting With was to
begin Tuesday. the horsemen had their revenge.
Entries for the Providence meeting closed last Mon
day. and when secretary Collins made up the list
he found that there not enough material TO 90
on, and the entire programme had 10 be abandoned.
The president. F. f. Perkins. and his associates re-
solved to stand by their guns. -Four contests were
assigned 10 each day, which assured eight heats or
more enough for the public, but not for the trainers
and POOL buyers. Even the failure has It's bright
side, for II shows That there are some driving as
sOCations alive 10 the needs OF the time. Later In
the season there are 20 he stakes and purses where
fewer heats than three will win and AT Nashville
and other places the dash system Is 10 be tried.
The sudden but not unexpected death OF Lelapd
Stanford last Tuesday affects the turf world even
than 1t docs the wider sphere Of politics Stand
Ing interest the master OF PaO Alto has no successor
there as can easily be found for his place In The
Senate. Other men OF unlimited Meals have secured
bv purchase what he got by selection and breeding
ST. Julien Maud s. Jay Eye-See ana Nancy Hanks
herself bred owned when Young by persons
In ordinary circumstances. hut SunO was fOalcd the
property Of this mltmonairc, who gave his per
produced her. In Arion, senator stanford achieved
bis greatest and no other twO-yearOll tro
ter has got than five seconds 10 tho marvel
l0us feat Of mile In = - Sd which the colt ac
Stanford 100 OF Electioncers get in the . 80
hst and his hopes were REALIZED nearly two year.
ago. At the end o. 1892 the speed roll OF the stall
hon h. selected al stony Ford and placed AT tn
head Of bis stud al I,aO Alto farm numbered 100
total that is not likely TO be soon approached by
any other sire.