New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-16
UP GOES THE TURF CURTAIN.
A sELLlNG,PLATER STANDS REVEALED.
paAB1o THE WINNER OF THE RICH BROOKLYN
MANnICAP

ssn,xat,ons IN this country have ever had day "a
compare With this. June sat smiling In the lap OF
May. Now and then a Hight cloud scurried across
the sky. The air gracious and benignant. M
sxcess of heat and no untincly chill disturbed the
pracs Of mind Of the great host Of spectators Of the
Brooklyn Handicap. The grounds OF this club dis.
play no magnificent distances. The buildings are
not Cyelcpean. like the stands at Morris Park and
Monmouth Park. The open spaces upon which oh
servers can stand not broad and far reaching.
Still many thousands Of people can get within the
Gates and find . point of contact with Mother
Earth. from which they can view the struggles OF the
aery princes Of the blood royal whose contests Of
speed inspire so much speculation and much x
element Every seat in all the buildings OF the club
taken The roof was hidden by the thick array Of
eszers set upon lofty perchcs. Every part Of the
esnd stand, Of the balconies and Of the clubhouse
wss beseged and attacked With the utmost cagcrncss
Of assault The tower and all the from which
tho racing could be were beset With people.
50 also the inner field 1t Is unsafe TO attempt
10 estimate racing crowds. but II Is certain that
few larger assempages have ever been drawn together
In America to note tho agility Of horscnesh. Not
outstanding all the commissions In Wall Street: In
spite Of the parting Of the strands Of Cordage In the
face Of the collapse In quotations for Sugar in spite
Of the breaking Of some wildcat Western banks; for
oil the uncertainty In business and financial prospects,
and despite the many forebodngs of disaster ond
destruction that are In the air, great many Americans
land representatives OF other also ready to
put themselves to some discomfort and TO spend some
money In order to note how celebrated horses stretch
themselves for big prize.
How the anxious did from all points
Of the compass to Gravesend With a sedate de-
liberation and a temperate gravity that reminded
thoughtful travellers OF Philadelphia. the railroad
trains crept quietly and moderately through the
Aumbrous village of Brooklyn toward the racctrack.
The devotees Of racing got the at last
and they got away at last. But the famous engine
900 was not attached to any Of the trains. and no
mile was run in thirty-tw seconds In any part Of
Kings County. When, after many delays and q great
deal Of crowding the Grsvesend grounds gained.
wayfarers who did not start from home early fonnd
that they were not OF standing room even, and
In short time they became extremely thankful that
they were allowed to live at all Have You
. nst full Of menhaden pulled I'M There are
nyriads Of fishes in haul OF this sort, and
they are crammed together closely in
the net that they appear to be almost
sgslutnated. So It Of the multitude at the
Grsvesend track. Hydraulic pressure could hardly
have crushed them more closely together. The bet
tinsrng seethed and boiled like a place OF torment.
rh"re los bookmakess' stands within the
Internal circle, each stand paying 800 10 the club
for the day. So from the betting ring alone the club
drew $500 Of revenue for that single day. The
gate receipts could hardly have fallen below 800
000 and the profits from the privileges of the bars
and Of the eating tables and from the programmes
must have been large. All the stockholders OF
rich merchant OF Rotterdam OF whom Thackeray loved
to sing. Well they might. They not only had the
fat receipts OF the opening day TO count upon for
dividends but Decoration Day also is included In
their meeting this year. Evidently the BROOKLYN
Jockey Club stock Is in danger Of tumble like
that which befell Whiskcy long ago. II hasn't
nearly much water in It, anyway.
James 4. kcene was ut the track lie likes to
study horses as we'll stocks. William X. Wander.
bilt was also lookeron, and he gazed upon the
racers with keenness OF vision and maturity Of
judgment which have made him conspicuous among
the admirers OF racing. Mr.. Vanderbilt has sharp
IN eye for hieh-cass colt or FLY any trainer
In the land and he has attained a widespread repua-
ton on the turf for the number Of "long shots'
which he has carried off,
Unfortunately Pierre Loriard's weakened health
did not permit him 10 visit the yesterday.
II be had been at the track, he might have felt in
cined to double the salary os his jockey Sims, for
the marvellous riding which the boy did the favor
ito Lampllghter. But Of that later. 1t a
nne stroke Of good fortune which tie jockey clubs
enjoyed when the poolrooms of New.York closed
This increased Immensely the number OF people mt
tho track. the number Of bookmakers in the ring and
the number Of dollars at the gate. Tie clubs were
also favored Of fortune in the failure Mt Albany OF
Controller Campbeils bill to tax them rer cent Of
Ill their receipts-thelr from bookmakcrs,
from programmes. from privileges and from Initiation
fees and dues Of members. Under the present law
the clubs pay per cent their gate receipts only
II the stock OF the jockey clubs were listed OIL
the Stock Exchange just now ii might start u
sboom" that would llf; the whole market.
The result OF the Brooklyn Handicap was bitter as
Hunyadi Janos or the waters OF Marah to the lesions
who looked on. Pierre Lorlllard's colt Lamplgater
had 90 many memorable triumphs last year, had
been the hero and the champion OF so many saw
aeely fought battles. that other horse In the race
had one-tenth as many followers and admirers as
la had IN c1n m
ance on achievement, he deserved to hold the first
place IN the good Twill OF turmen In all parts OF Inc
country Mr.. Lorard paid 100000 for him mt Mon
mouth Park last summer and lie Is well worth Sooooo
today lie won the Champion Stakes at Long Branch
In such fashion as thoroughly TO merit the title Of
champion. Lamplighter had been trained with great
care for the aa5 900 Brooklyn Handicap By John Hug
gins, trainer OF long and varied experience and OF
uncommon skin. The owner and trainer had done |
their part. The jockey did not 90 his
speaking soberly and seriously, Mr.. Lorllard may !
we'll rejoice that he Iot at the track 10 see his
eoble colt misridden the most wofn manner Every
turfman OF .aS..scnce who saw the race declared
after II had been that Lampligh-r was by far the
best animal In the at the weights, and that
he had been properly ridden he must have captnrcd
the first great prlze of the Among the thirteen
Jockeys who had mounts In the Brooklyn Handicap
some rascals who always try TO interfere with
and defea the favorite In great race II the horses
lKch they ride themselves have not speed enough |
b get first place. Lanplighter was backed all over
the country 10 win this race for many weeks before
dis contest took place. 1t has been known FOR
6ng time that the colt certain TO be strong
svorte in the betting II he went 10 the post Hun
ireds OF thousands OF dollars bet him In the
sng yesterday. II for the Interest OF every book
maker Lamplghtcr should b. defeated. matter
what other horse should be victorious. What conid
BE- simpler and easier than for bookmakcr TO send
an emissary to u jockey with tn" promise that the
Jockey should have 300 n lie would do all he could
10 interfere with Lamprg her and prevent his win
nirg' Several OF the Jockeys rode as II each had
received promises OF 800 apiece from n score OF
eookmakers. Some Jockeys might reject with scorn
shameful bride OF this SORT but every jockey In the
nee knew that Lampllghtcr n horse OF higher
lass than my other in the handicap and II Lamp
lchfer could be XanqnIshcd by any fricIlcry. any