New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-21
PART iii.
PAGES q TO 80.
GRAND CIRCUIT FLYERS.
>ry ORDER OF AFFAIRS on THE TROT
TING TURF FOR THE CAMPAIGN OF 1888.

TING TURF FOR THE CAMPAIGN OF lS'''
r,,., EARLY CLOSING STAKE SYSTEM ALMOST
EvrRYvIIERE IN VoGuE-HoEsEs ALREADY
ENTERED FOR NEXT SUMMERS RACES
SOME OF THE FAST ONES THAT WILL
BE HANDLED 81 SALISBURY. HAM
LIN AND CuRBiTT THIS YEAR.
g., .oosoo,e,co Of tho almost universal adoption
th,s wear Of the early closing stake system by the
,o,dng trotting tracks throughout the country ue
annr,achinC campaign bids fair to be In some 'e
erec.s unlike any other season in the history VI
harness racing. Ever since the earnest Gays 'i
,,o..ior as pastime ii has been customary 1ot
~ sri,n; clubs to advertise the programmes oil
their meetings AMI to fix a date usually about TWO
,,aol,e before the races 10 begin Wheh horSoS
,r,st be entered and named in the Various cliSSeS
"a which they were then eligible as competitors
,or the purse. Thus. for instance, entries 10 lh'
r,ufralo Grand Circuit meeting. which is annuauy
hold during the first week in August Woui" Il"
closed on or about July 10. \ horse having record
50 OK could be entered in the 2I5 class that
date TO trot at Buffalo fortnight later, anu al
though he might in the mean time gain record OF
oio ~ better he was nevertheless eligible 20 start
Sometimes entry books were advertised TO close as
long as month previous to the date oil the race
and often in such one OF the troters 'nterei
would meanwhile develop such speed that any
novice could run his eye over the list of nonIna-
+ions on the day of the contest ana pick out the
prospective winner almost beyond a reasonable
doubt. The race was too often not much more IMAM
an empty formality, and the system of early clos
ing never found favor among observing followers
Of trotting whose that of the spectator
alone II was a good thing for the driving clubs
and track managers. however. because twenty men
could be relied upon to enter their horses month
before a race to take place. where only ten
would think well enough of their chances a week
hafO nd N he
often learns that his pet flyer isn't quite so fast
or so game in company as private trials had leu
him to hope. or his horse goes lame or falls
victim to another OF the thousand Ills that tTotefs
are heirs to.
Under the better plan of closing the books and
CHASING the horses according their records as
they stand just before the race is to come off all
the deadwood Is eliminated. the phenomenal flyers
are barred out by being forced into a class com
nlensurate to their real speed and the rotters that
go 10 the post more likely TO he evenly matched
and of the same class actually we'll nomnally.
A few years ago -. j. Campau, president OF the
Detroit Driving Club and one Of the most pro-
cressive track managers in the country, undertook
n improve the chances of close contests at his
meeting by letting the entry books remain open
until a few days before the horses were to trot.
but this commendable attempt met with only scanty
slpport among horsemen. and for financial reasons
~ had TO be abandoned. Generally speaking. track
managers have found that the longer beforehand
from entrance fees. and this experience has finally
led to the plan OF closing the books three months
or even six months before the date set ioI the
meeting and making the entrance fee payable IN
;nstalments, sometimes in cash. but much oi'eh"r
on what is known as the credit forfei; plan Under
this svstem the owner is able to enter his horses
IN January for engagements in July, August, Sep
ten,ber and October and without being called upon
10 paw out a cent until the day before the race
Then the day Of reckoning comes, ana he must
rftf l4freg a. Il
other trotting tracks Of consequence in the United
States.
GENERALLY ADOPTED.
rbis naw departure in harness racing has sweep,
.be Grand Circuit this year for the first time, and
{, Is now alnos; everywhere in vogue in the West
ern Southern and other important circuits both
East and West. The state Of affairs at Bufa'o'
which has been called the keystone OF the Grand
Circuit furnishes an excellent illustration Of the
workings Of the innovation Buffalo is to have ten
days Of harness racing next August, WIN thtee
races each day. making in all thirty contests ior
trotters and PAGERS. More than month ago sec
retarv Hawley announced the entire series OF con
tests for this meeting. and advertised for entries 10
the various classes naming April l as the date OF
closing Thus the books were 70 be closed ana the
horses TO be cassel nearly four months earlier IMAM
usual leaving part Of the programme open Iof
later arrangements. Twenty-eght OF these lhr'E
races filed 70 the satisfaction OF the club but there
entries was not up to the standard and they were
accordingly declared off With the exception OF these
two cases the Buffalo Grand Circuit programme
81 arranged and all that now remains Is 10 await
the date OF the meeting. Much the same state 81
affairs is true Of the other meetings in the Hrahd
Circuit entries having already closed for majority
OF the contests 10 be decided at Saginaw, Detroit
Cleveland. New-York and Philadelphia
Whether this notable innovation will work TO the
profit Of trackowneTs. horse-owners ana spectators
and perma nentiy sUpplant the Old orier oil Things u
a rnuch-discussed question among h0rseneh just
now Some trainers and owners favor the scheme
saving il affords them opportunity 70 enter 'heI
1-otters and carry the engagements along lof mite
money until the season arrives. wnen uey ca" "e
eide whether the horses VIII De good enough TO
start Others DO not Ike the early Closing IhS'a
1nent plan at all and their objections 10 It are many
and forcible j. Scott Mccoy. one Of the Iea1ihS
Eastern trainers. thinks the innovation Is pau
thing for everybody concerned. TIE trainer IT.
said hasn't fairly got his stable together ana aii
on, his canpajgn by the time the entries now close.
and am afraid good many II us VIII hhu una
We have named the ''rong horse By the time the
races begjn IL may DO well enough Tor men Ike
Monroe Salisbury and G. J. liamln, VINO are ap'
10 name three or four horses in each class pu1 i"
the trainer who hasn't either the hoTsos OF '"e
money 10 do this. | believe the early closing pan
&c a had thing The horse that looks Ike crach-
aiack' in March may prove TO be a poor Stuck by
IT, and on tho other hand, the trottcr tla'
wasn't deemed 70 be worth entering wheh "''
boLe cloesa will likely enough be going great guns
on the day Of the race Another thing Inc a.
socIa,jons will De apt to have lot OF ohe-Si1'u
races. when you class field Of tro'ters your VI
five months before they 10 race the chances al
about two 20 one that some horse IN the Io' WIN
,rovA ., he away off better than the rest before '
fou- r,on,bs are over ma then you see poor race
TO HAVE THOROUGH TRIAL.
Whatever may be the merits or the faults OF ,ht
early closing plan IT IS going TO nave ia'r ''l'
this season for the first time on inc tro'"nh -,
.I's $1,000, ,,fu know, all about 1t after the