New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-18
TROTTING-HORSE BUSINESS.
CONDITIONS WHICH INFLUENCE II.
MONEY TO BE MADE BY THOSE SATISFIED WITH
SMALL But STEADY PROF1TS-LARGE
AMOUNT OF PREMIUMS TO BE PAID
OUT THIS YEAR.


AMOUNT OF PREMIUMS TO BE PAID
OUT THIS YEAR.
The trotting horse business is its last legs
was a remark frequently heard early this winter
when nj the first combination sale OF trotting stock
standard bred colts and FLIES. aye and even oiood
mares in foal 70 standard bred sres whose
service fee ran well up into three hgures were
knocked down like many sides OF beef, almost
at so much a pound. Fortunately. the men VINO
cannot look behind the fact tina; standard blood -
selling for one-four.h what II wouid brihS three
years ago are only an insignificant minority among
the thousands who engaged in the business
The pessmists ready TO howl unless 'he aver
age speed of the trotter Is continuously on the IN
crease. unless service fees for young and untried
stations keep ever on the rise ana unless s'ahu-
ard breeding, no matter how poor or undesirable
a animal 1t is wrapped in, sells Tor ABOUT TOUT
times what Il is worth.
While these calamity mongers see nothing eX-
cept ruin impending over the whole range OF IN
teres,s connected with the trottng horse, the
majority of the interested are beginning
to appreciate the fact that what Is called the
slump in prices is only the inevitable tendency
of all business TO gravitate toward a paying basis
The time Is gone by probably never to return
when men would give enormous prices Tor colts
for the reasons which induce others 10 pay large
sums for certain paintings-the glamour OF name.
To cite an instance
Arion trotted a mile In 2:10a. two-year-old
and was at once purchased by wealthy breeder
at a price which now seems fabulous Few
months later the yearling brother to Arion was
brought into the sale ring and without beng I'M
blanketed readily disposed OF at S2o.OU SIMPLY
because he a relative to a phenomenon. Other
stations with more less pretension TO fame nave
been secured for farms in different parts or the
country by such large investment of capital. that
only a proporionatey large service fee or inflated
prices for the produce can bring any profitable
return.
THE PRICES NOT DIscoURAGING AT ALL.
AT the present time stock bred in winning lines
stations which have representatives in the last ISL
and brood mares which are producers of performers
being auctioned off at prices which are heart
breaking TO the ''nlationist' and discourag1ng 70
the man who got into the business when prices were
up. but which are sounder and healthier and which
in season or tvs will bring new set Of breeders
to the front These are the men who Will be able
to sell their farm produce a; the level Of values OF
to-day and a profit.
SO it comes TO pass that there are TWO sets OF
breeders in the trotting-horse business-the men
who bought their foundation stock at unbusness-like
values and vince every time colt or My Is
knocked down at its real value, and the men who
have the same or just as good. blood. bought at
reasonable figure. and whom the present average
price of stock is il not entirely satisfactory, al
least encouraging.
An e!sit-Inonths old FLY sold for $50 ut auction
in this city two weeks ago III IL mao petH u! SoiH'
good sire whose fee is 500 or sJ0-and there are
dozens of them in the country standing at that
price would have been hailed as re-
markably good But it 50 happened that the young
ster was by Arion. whose service fee was S2oU ana
this takes no account of the value from the dam.
a daughter of Director The calamity mongers cast
up their eyes and lifted their voices ana wallet
what "a shame. What is the business coming u.
any way? Why. there's FLY that sh94d ha AYE
brought at least five times as much. why! be-
cause the owner Of the stallion had 10 charge iNc
times the value of his stations service in orier
to return OF his capita! or p"rau -, wv
owner OF the mare saneuine enough 10 liI /
the sum and take odds Of about 100 TO ! aeainst
getting world alter? The My may be a PIX re
even now but who has the ps!or claim TO mat IN, m
q value Most % M he the rA sc CHANCES
and expense until she Is old enough to stand INC
the business When bidders at an auction would
fall one another In their anxiety h no pr IMP
5 5sren g ANIMAL they took ali Chances John il
Shuts bought the veyearold mare Nenrshta- by
fail Of that year Mr. Shuts sold some OF his stock
At auction, among them, this mare j. W: Day.
ian afford to buy his experience. and. IKE ne
or ~ healthy shd " and dourshIng condition
But was It? Where Is Nehushta now? BACK N
,ome sH OF Mr para pays horses for s MIR DAYS
does not he a 5ea Mount Ksoo
Farm she produced anything; neither has she won
any money or reuuteq ner the re5ja owner
should a profit: and II Is just here that the
to breeders at present prices comes
MONEY TO BE MADE
With sires and dams at reasonable prices. and
service fees on a business basis. there is money 10
Do made and the old breeder who can stay in the
business or the new ones who come In now have
| more hopeful prospect than ever before.
1t Is better in the horse business for every one
concerned TO make continuous small margins than
o stake all producing some meteoric celebrity.
which will net a fortune for one lucky Individual.
while all others find solace In breaking the
comma ndment, Thou shalt not cOvet
These principles apply equally TO the racing side
# the question. and this phase of the matter
here is more solid announcement. Men can
Juy prospective money winners at 80 much less.
md win much more than was possible in the days
which are gone. that the pool-box feature In trot-
Ing contests Will lose some OF It's unhealthy prOmi-
renee.
In the past, when young ana likely candidate
or campaign hOnors cost wen into four hgures. ana
when most purses covered by three figures the
,urse Of only secondary importance, as against
big batch of pool-tckets.
While betting trotting contests Will always
'e an adjunct to the sport the continued increase