The sun., 1894-11-11
THE FUTURE OF THE TURF.
THE OUTLOOK FOR THE BREEDER
GLOOMY IN THE EITREME.

The Rieh Turfrss who Races Tor spor
Csa 60 Abroad, but what II 20 Beeon,
Oftho Poor Owser -nd the breeder witi
Everythiss at stake THE Days OF Bir
| Stakes and Tremendous Proats Evident
~ Gone for All Time-Ths EaRiish Sys
te= OF Bstting Not eei-E 60 save U--
The Racing Field Reeoruins snsiiei
Yssriy-wbat VIII the Jockey Ciub DO
The future OF the turf is enshrouded In n mist
Of doubt which will not be dlspelled for months
Everybody agrees that the days OF gigantic
prizes have passed away forever. and no matter
what may be done by the legislative bodies OF
the State or turf the standard Of values prevail
ing before the passage Of the amendment to the
Constitution can never be restored. The blow
falls not upon the rich owner who races for
pleasure hut upon the breeder who has his all
invested In thoroughbreds and trotters and upon
the man Of moderate means who has moth
ing but his race horses and the purses they
win for him In the course Of season.
II racing Is to continue, II must be on a cheaper
scale, with lowe? purses and less opportunities
for gain through the medium of speculation. II
is all very well to theori2c and talk about tho
benefits Of tho English system OF betting going
to the turf. but It is quite another thing TO
put II into operation.
Where are the Americans who will give m
extra fec to gain adm .t,Anco to the ring In
which the layers OF odds do bus!Hessf After
paying ct the gate it is uHrcas enable TO suppose
that the racing public viii 40 down into its
pocket once more and pay again without grum-
bling. On any of the prominent Eng
lish courses II costs equivalent OF
$3.50 of cur money to get into the
betting ring. Such fee could not be
acted here. and anybody attempting 10 colec, ii
would be considered n subject for Blooming
dale. Racing in America l. much more coEino-
politan than abroad. md there Is not tic wealth
In the business here that IL daily reprcs cVtcd NJ
any OF the big English meetings II is the
butcher, the liquor dealer, the small tradcsman.
ard artisans who bet their fvcs and tons. or
sometimes their tweHti"s. and pay their dol
lar and n half at the gate, who have kept the
American turf on It's legs mud enabled racing
associations TO pny forty fifty, and even sixty
per cent. on the money invested. II is TO
this class that the racing associations OF
the future must, US in the past, look
for support. One thing is as certain that the
sun shines, and that II, that no racing meeting
can be made profitable without means of giv-
ing the public Il chance to speculate. Tho time
was when there was considerable sentiment in
the sport, but a score or more Of years of grind
ing and grasping. of striving for fortunes day
after day during the spring. summer. and
autumn. has, morc's the pity, converted the
noble thoroughbred into vehicle for gaming.
There are n few. very few, mon who frequent
the great race courses about New York who do
not speculate on the evcatS decided daily. Many
bet who shouid not 10 so. ard to them tie
curtailing or entire loss of racing would be
a blessing. But the blow at personal liberty is
calling to tho man who can afford To rrend HIS
money as he p,eRses: and IL Il members OF this
class who are cursng the folly OF any set OF men
who look upon themselves as competent to DO
the thinking for the masses. II is thought by
many conservative persons that the cuinter-
some ballots helped the passage OF the ConStitu-
tional amendments materially. II was no small
task for an intelligent man to deciphcr the
mass handed him on election day. and there
were numerous instances where the voter threw
away the batch OF papers in disgust and refused
TO vote at all.
Those turfmen who are the fortunate possess-
prs o. :, OF big incomes have the privilege Of racing
Mcssrs. Lorlllard, keene, Belmont, Croker. and
other magnstes will be seen in lsg5 at New
nominations to some Of the richest stakes to lie |
decided there within the next few years, and it !
trainer. John Huggins abroad long before Nor
ris Tekuisky and his amendment were ever |
heard of at Albany. Roth the ,LorillUrd and |
keene cplors were known abroad, lr0quois car |
rying those Of the Rancocos tnrtmen tri- |
nmphanily past the post for the English |
blue spots OF the keenss, won the Grand Prix Ge |
Paris and some Of the other Clus,ic racing !
events of the Continent. But Il Il deplorabe 10 |
the exile OF such horses from tie |
American turf. The presence OF such racing !
,rgsnzatio1s 1, a. s. At home Is worth sum that e
'ents. II is 4 pity that such n country as this
;annot foster q sport which. thoroughly con-
with IL.
There has been for years, however, a woful
scIng. Jenlouses and strife seemed to increase
fdrtub hS gate nn,rG rsGesI, snd p0GGrSd IN 1rn$
instead OF WORKING in unity and iaborinG to
trensth-n the fabric, there has Tor long time
eem asF9ihitign a ,h to tsar !. ssugdsr The
light direction, and there is no doubt that un-
Ter It's management racing was conducted on
SUIT there was a woful lock OF diplomacy IN some
4 the negotiations with other, powers, ard
eeen taken advantage OF at the time they
i'ered ttrt themselyes: Had they been, the
Sy Men Of the ssRast ntssyr,S ansy are we're sE
n the roll OF the Jockey Club during tho past
anizntion. What they will do in the future
hey probably do not themselves know, but il
ncertainty which seems TO surround the sport
n every side they should be able 20 find L..
G,hiing d teaches IKE eaPerenSS but 4 is an eX;
e plenty of time during the winter months TO
vOVe some plans which may give tho me- |
ropOlis some sport for next year A great
,,any IAN horses have been entered in the stakes
the Coney Island, Brooklyn, and New York
)ckey clubs, and the prizes of the Saratoga |
.aeing Association, and It is a nice point OF law
, decide whether they shall be contended for or
ut. Some persons are of the opinion that none |
{ tho race tracks In the State will opcn their
ates at all but this Il too gloomy view 20 take
I the situation and one which would be well |
igh intolerable. The people Of the West be-
eve that many Of the racing firms that have
lRde New York their headquarters for many
ears will now be compelled 70 go through the
Outhern, Southwestern, and Western circuits
be followed by the great army OF the talent
lat band Of wonderful men who are up to-day
nd down tomorrow and who manage To eke ,
lt an existence somehow. There is no doubt
lat the small horse owner will go West, or any
here else where he can earn u tcW dollars with
Is thOrOughbreds, but with the field OF his
Deratinns becoming smaller and smaller, lt
ems To be only a question OF time until he will
nd his vocation gone.
Take look back kward. Two years ago there
Us racing every day but Sunday in the State OF
ew Jersey, and tho best horses OF the continent
ct yearly at Monmouth Park. the most mag
tiCant course In the world. 10 race for nrIz.s |