The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-28
TALKS ON TRO1TlNG.
4 MOVE TO LENGTHEN TIE ACTIVE
SEASON FOR THE SULKX.
Good Reason why the Ancient BEST IhTes
An Five" Heat Rule should BE Shelyed
for the Beet Two In Three.

uont "a that II the earning capacity VI
tho trotter has been increased by raising
tho value OF the purses, there VIII De
still greater financial reward II the sta
son of activity Is made longer. u Is urs-
ID that II the Jockey clubs are able 10 Sc
Gre the high class gallopers for such
eariv events as the Brooklyn ana supur-
han handlcaps. the owners Of crack mar
ness races can also be inducel 10 slail
for big purses during May and june
IVbf1o there Is 10 doubt that the pro
spcct e beginning the campaign WIN
a substantial profit would bfine out tne
sensational performers some weeks III
advance OF the time they ushaHy aPpedi'
the experiment would be almost certain
10 a, more harm than good. II would
uecessltate the building Of more covered
tracks in the North and multiply the as
snpointments hat have followed the IoIc-
ing process in that section.
The Southern stables and those IN tah-
fornia. might be able TO take part IN 'hese
snrine contests, but even for tnem' the
riso would have its Disadvantages. III a
horse is asked 20 go to his limit OF Ciose
10 IL bofor midsummer II IS "agin hatui
IA expect that the animal can DO himself
ine,ice during the balance Of the season.
n IS posslble that Monroe Salisbury. VINO
has already made some radical departures
from the old methods Of training, may
establish other new precedents TINS year
rho fact that he has kept AK, Direct
w. Flving Jib, AZOte ana Other mtihU'i7
Of his brilliant company or FecoIn-pifaN,
ors hard at work all WINTER mas 'NS'''
r,,,ch comment and caused many expert
onced turfmen TO shake their heads
cbopId he follow this bold stroke by tax
inc nm the thread Of success where ne
droppod II last November at PhilaHeI-
mia and carving IT 10 the end or an
other long season, the lesser hghts oi tho
trottin1, world will hasten 20 emulate INC
example OF the idefatigabie ora taiiiyi ~
ian Unless Salisbury has discovered
new, elixir Of life for his equine bread
winners. IL will be found that If there are
no bounKs to his ambition, there is sun
a limit to the endurance OF the hoises
he has I'm charge.
II the trotting associations. along Win
the owners and managers or the pis
stables. are really DESTROYS OF giNile inc
puhlic am earlier view Of tho stars. they
mleht DO so with more prudence by re-
ducine the number OF heats now I'M vogue.
From the inception of lisht harness sport
IL has been customary to require the win
uer 81 a race 10 finish three times I'D
front of the field, whore the distance toI
each heat was not greater thah IllIt'
| This was the rule when Lady Sunolk'
| Moscow, Gray Eagle, Pelham anu inc
cracks of nifty years ago battled lot pul-
J soc that were seldom worth more than
500. and milo below 2.3) was a iedt al
| most unhcard Of Though The spe-i hmit
has been improved boy nearly thirty sec
/ onds and the premiums are now worm
| marc Ina thousands than they were IN hun-
| drcds. the task set for the r7iieis mas TO-
| manned substantially the same. ANY ut-
/ parture from the time honored three
Am five" condition has met "itn a lot OF
| opposition from the horscncn though the
! spcctators have as "a rule approved or any
| chance that would shorten nc contest
| The track managers haze lnVaIlapll
| bowed 10 the mandate of the actors ana
| made the pleasure or comfort or lhe
| enectators secondary consideration.
About four years ago there was Il laud-
! able attempt to lessen the number OF
! heals. and The example set by Detroit
| Lexington and Nashville might have Oetn
! followed by other trottng centres II me
| high wheel sulky and continued IN vogue
The advent OF the bike" In 1872 enabled
| the horses TO sustain their flight through
! a greater number OF heats than before
and hv common consent the old regime
became more strongly intrenched than
ever. The opportunity is now ripe for
! some progressive association or circuit
meeting TO try a series of races Tor the
fat classes either on the dash plan or TWO
/ ]
| easier TO get the star performers ready
for this lighter task and the risk of eN-
hausting their powers midway in the sea-
son would not Oe SO great.
Bv one of those curious contradictions,
which is occasionally found IN the con-
| duction Of a public pastmc. the tr0tter
OF PAGER that strives for championship
s. only required 10 go single mile
while 10 secure first money in a race the
same animal must win three heats. II
was once the prevailing notion that the
system of training would bee completely
| rpvOlutiOnized by the Introduction or
dash races i'm harness. The consistency
with which Ak and Robert j. defeated
all corners and between times pulled
down the record for their respective ealts
last year proves Che falacy or the con-
tcntion.
An additional reason for doing away
with "a rule which renders race liable
10 last for more than three heats les the
presence on The turf of so many young
horses. The demand FOR carly speed.
which amounted 10 "a craze al the begin
ming of this decade brought even the
baby trotter on ne turf and has given
ug such astonishing feats as mile I'D
2e8 bv the yearlng colt AdpeN ana the
more marvellous one 2lO "a ny Ailon AT
two years Every season since ~" mas
seen change IN the ff'pIN@ l'i 'il' l"f'
nile division Of both gaits, and the young
sters have raced after the same precoc-
ious fashion that they have accomplished
sensations against the watch. While a
grain of prudcace has remained 10 spare
the yearlings from more than dashes OF
a mile or less. the Z-year-Oids arc asked
TO go 40 least TWO heats, and beyond that
age the contests are the same as Tor the
maturod horses.
The result has been the wholesale
slaughter OF many promising colts and
FLIES. and the conservative policy which
insists on the regulation three heats is
largely responsible for the numerous
| break-downs that have occurred There
is little doubt that if Directum had been
allowed TO develop slowly tin last season.
instead of being a disappointment In his
5-year-old form, the black stallion would
have got nearer 10 the twO-minute mark
than either Alix or Nancy Hanks. His
first race az 4-vears was at Fleetwood
Park. and ne had TO 10 five heats against
a strong field of wel-seasoned campaign
ers.
few weeks later at Lexington the
colt was again pittod against the flower
OF the aged trotters, and it was not ill he
had stepped q fourth heat in POS that his
older antagonists were defeated With
out citing the extreme cases where d.
vidcd heats have forced the youngsters
TO go five or more miles at top speed
In one day, It cannot DE denied that the
average race under the existing reguia-
lions has stopped the career or many
brilliant colt and filiy
\ natural sequence 10 the keen competi-
ton for entries which have been going
.t.a tt... .ff.t. cod