New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-08
RACING AT SHEEPSHEAD.
ONLY TWO FAvoRITEs SUCCESSFUL.
SOME THINGS on THE TURF THAT OUGHT TO BE
CHANGED FOR THE RETTrp

CHANGED FOR THE BETTER
August Belmont IL already in England. or he will
be sooa. Thrice fortunate Mr.. Belmont II he had
been at sheesphead Yesterday he would have hung
his head in sorrow at the way in which his stake
FLY Woodvine was messed in the first race. Take
the whole history OF the human race since the first
and original. fall OF (see the Pentateuch). and
nothing can be palmer than that ali nations have
continually needed line upon line and precept upon
precept. The world is full Of doubters but little
drops OF water falling day by day the hardes;
rocks away SO were taught In childhood And
little grains Of sand make the pleasant land. These
philosophical tnkles may not embody the pro-
foundest principles OF geology. Nevertheless. II a
sincere and earnest preacher keeps preaching he
will be heard some day, and his words will bear
fruit. So with certain turf sermons. The sceptics
may sheer for long time. but they will feel The
iron in their souls before they die No. many men
stick ii day and night In summer and in winter.
In the We; days and the dry, in May and october
alike. in glowing June and in frozen December.
But the man who genuinely believes what he writes
and what he says will hold fast to his text. The
racing column Of The Tribune will still try. through
out this year and throughout the years to come to
secure thoroughly honest and honorable sport. and
to get experts OF the right stamp In the stewards
stands OF the racetracks OF this State, no matter
what apathy Indifference or opposition may be
encountered. The turf must be clear or II must
pass away.
The breeders OF the country are crying. They
must put their hands to the plough. They
must race horses themselves. as well as breed
horses They must racing stables and they
must train competent jockeys themselves. Other
wise all OF them will soon be bankrupt They cam
not look idly They must help or the turf Will
be sere and scorched and withered ere long. Tn
less all honest turfmen Will band themselves to-
gether against all turf tricksters. every racecourse
in the East will be covered with corn and with cab
bages with turnips and potatoes. with caulifower
and lettuce with beets and onions. with spinach
and squashes and pumpkins at an early date.
Mr. Belmont could Ill be spared. He was sorey
needed here 10 the very last hour OF the racing
The signs and longings and warnings OF
every turfman with a conscience are hourly waited
across the sea. impatient for the return OF the
chairman OF the Jockey Club II may be possible
that Mr.. Belmont has gone ABROAD in order 10
import some stewards for the racecourses In the
Empire State. II he Will bring back with him sew
eral alert. active vgilant. efficient, expert expe-
rienced wide-awake. sharp eyed. energetic. enter
prisng. well-equlpped and completely competent
stewards who do not smoke cigarettes they will
fill a long-felt want. and Mr.. Belmon. will be the
turfmen's candidate for President in the year 1900
But Mr. Belmont ought TO bring over also light
weight Jockey that ride his FLY Woodvine prop
erly. Perhaps Hewitt ride broomstck or
mint juep we'll but Il looks now as II he couldn't
ride W0OdVine nall decent w nat the use VI Ocd1-
ing about the bush? Let's get at little plain.
straight common sense in this thing. no mat
ter whose feelings may be hurt. Mr.. Belmont him
self put his name to q published letter not long
ago, and in that letter he proved clearly that
Woodvine was a stake FLY last year. Not stake
FLY Of the class OF Blink Bonney or Alice Haw-
thorne Eleanor or Crucilx. or Apology. or
Achievement or Wheel OF Fortune. Bal Gal. or
Shotover. or Carrie Roy. La Feche. or Theba.s.
lafs nj ar Etlle de Air Nircsern.
Spnaway, or Miss Woodford or Firenzi or York
VILE Belle. or many others that might be men
toned but still a stake Ally. Intermisslon had
plain and undoubted title TO defeat Woodvine in
the stake race in which they met this year. Mr..
Belmonts letter gave adequate and ample reasons
for the defeat OF Woodvine by Intermisslon in thai
race. But If Mr. Belmont had observed with great
care the sprin; races In which Woodvine has been
meeting mere sprinters not OF stake class, and had
studied with minute attention tho manner In
which Woodvine has been, ridden In some OF those
races he would see that his honored colors have
been in possible peril OF being soiled with a slight
turf scandal.
Think bit turfmen. Look at the wild welter OF
fools at Chicago The next Legislature Of the En-
pire State will be Republican. and the next Gov
ernor Of this State will be Republican. The voters
OF this State are not wildly enthusiastic over the
way in which racing has been carried on In this
State. They not much more wildly enthusiastic
than the voters of New-Jersey have been over the
way in which racing carried on in that State.
Mr. Belmont has gone abroad a hint TO John j. Hy-
land, Mr.. Belmont's trainer. seems tosbc In order
lust now II Mr.. Hylanl can't put jockey on this
stake FLY Woodvne that can get her away from the
post neatly and skilfuly. and can ride her prop
erly In a race, he ought TO keep her in the stable
Hewitt has now spoiled whatever chance this stake
flly had In sprin. race more than once. TO start
Woodvne in another race with Hewitt up after the
IN which he has ridden her would come near to
creating unknd comment.
This Is a world OF strange people and strange
things Certain racing stewards get salaries out
OF racing in this State Certain track officials
get salaries out OF racing in this State. Certain
owners trainers and Jockeys receive revenues out OF
racing In this State few years ago races took
place at Monmouth Park. Elizabeth. Linden, Guten-
burg Gloucester and Clifton In the State OF New
Jersey For many years great many people made
great deal OF money out Of racing In New jersey
Jersey now? A great many people are drawing sal
aries and making money because racing Is Sun kept
the sun rises and the sun sets all these salaries will
be- cut off. and all these sources OF income rom
sealed in the State Of New-Jer=ey, unless fearless,
vgilant. active. hard working and energetic stew
rds OCCUPY the stewards stand upon every race
course in this State and unless owners trainers and
Jockeys do their best TO make the sport ensts-y
SQUARE and fair. and clean and straight on every
And the breeders must take part, They must EN-.
poy honest and honorable ira ners, and they must
train competent and trustworthy jockeys. and they
soor b. dead The people Of New-York are intel
lgent. They Will soon suppress the turf unless the
ra Of this State are managed IN -uci. a
that all trckery shall be stopped. and racing
shall be pure and undehed Some racetrack people
are blind and deaf. Racetack blindness and deaf
ness were common In New-Jersey a few years ago.
The New York Legislature Of 1897 will not cuddle
In the hollow OF Platts hand a New-Jersey Leg
stature shut the racetracks Of New jersey Inc
state Of Carrot A. Hobart, Republican candidate
for Vice President Of the United states, Is an I'M
portant State Unless al the racetrack people Will
Iabor and toll increasingly and strive most earnest
E 10 enforce racing that Is without serious spot or
olemsn the people OF the greatest State OF IN"
n on will demand thu. the Legislature snail close
every racetrack and keep Il closed.
Riley Grammar VIII sail for England to-day. Gran
nan recently d large amount by backing the
allv Forget The race which the FLY Forget won
was one Of the most unplea sant-looking races run
anywhere on the American ;urf this year why ga
Piiey Grammar back Forget? There was no reason
N common-serse or public form Why Forget should