The record-union., 1896-10-04
SPORT OF KINGS
Cost Of Maintaining a Great Racing
Stable.
Most OF the Expense is in the Wages
Paid to Trainers, Grooms
and Jockeys.

A quartet of well-known horsemen and
one plain civilian were breakfasting in
Delmonico's the other morning, and the
SUBJECT of their conversation was, quite
naturally, the business in which the
Iour first alluded to are all engaged.
Ihey We're talking of the inconsistent
running Of a number of high grade
racers this season, and of the conSe-
Quent inability of the most careful
watchers of horse flesh to select win
ners to a satisfactory extent, says the
New York Herald" All four of the
gentlemen had recounted instances
showing that the life of the horse
backer is not a happy one this season.
when David Gideon, the breeder and
owner of many Of the most noted racers
on the turf, quietly observed:
Suppose, in addition to being unable
to do anything in the betting ring, you
had a stableful of sick horses, costing
you 81, ,250 month to support. How
would you feel about that?"
''Whew!" whistled the only outsider
present rs racing stable as costly
that?"
Mr.. Gideon replied that his bills ran
to the figures quoted with a regularity
that was considerably more clocklike
than pleasant at time when he could
not bring any of his thoroughbreds to
the post in good condition. Since that
morning he has succeeded in winning
two or three races, and his stable is in
improving shape. But up TO that time
he had been paying out his money with
an unperturbed exterior, but with no
visible chance of getting any Of it back
through the same channel.
of the great racing stables reveals some
interesting things. Among other points
made evident is the fact that behind
the glitter and gallant show of the
track when the races are on, there is
vast amount Of outlay and hard work
and unfagging attention to small de-
tails
The most costly item In first-class
racing stable is the trainer. Men who
have achieved celebrity in this field
of occupation command very large sal
aries. The condition is just one. in
view of the responsibility that rests
upon the trainer from the moment the
immature racer comes into his hands
until the season is over. He must form
a close and watchful acquaintance with
every animal in the string, must know
the character, the moods, the temper.
the speed, the endurance, the capacity
for work, and every circumstance about
each individual horse
There are trainers for American horse
owners who receive as much as $4,000
year. in addition to 10 per cent. of all
the purses and stakes won by the
stables they are connected with Of
course there are not many such salaries
On the turf. But there are not many
men of wide renown in this branch of
American sport. Of ten thousand dol
lar salaries paid to trainers there are
however, quite a considerable number,
and from that point down to $1,000 a
year Cat which price more than mere
" respectable trainer may be securely
the scale is rapid. There are some own
crs who train their own horses. and
others, who both train and ride for
themselves. thus reducing the cost
to a minimum, with only grooms, sta
BILE boys and feed bills to pay. But
these men are in the business for rev.
enue only, and not because they have
any deep yearning for "the sport Of
kings" They desire to win races not
for the glory Of the thing, but for the
purses stakes, and the amounts that
represent them in the betting ring.
After the trainer there are the grooms
and boys, who complete the pay roll.
In all stables of ordinary dimensions
there should be one groom and one boy
to each horse. In the larger stables one
set Of men work two sets Of horses. The
grooms ordinarily receive $50 per month
as wages, and are allowed $50 more for
their board The stable boys each COM
nand SO a month and their keep"
The feed and bedding don't amount
tc much" said a stable owner at
Sneepshead Bay on Saturday People
talk about the amount Of oats con-
sumed and about horses eating their
heads Off as though the item Of food
was something to dodge. Tt doesn't cost
over 80 cents a day to feed a horse,
no matter what a glutton he may be.
The real expense Is the people to be
hired. The best men in the market are
none too good, while the ordinary or
careless ones are dangerous to the
owners interests, and therefore prac-
tically worthless. / should regard an
expenditure Of SO a day for each of
the horses in a racing stable of medium
size as being a pretty fair average.
OF course, the more extensive your
stable the smaller the expense of each
horse, since the additional help you
must employ is Of the least costly kind,
While the more hOrSeS your trainer has
in hand the less the amount to be
charged up to each Of them on his ac-
count"
At this rate Of figuring a string of
twenty horses, properly handled In a
thoroughly first-class manner would
cost 81 500 a month throughout the
racing season. These figures are sup
posed to cover jockeys fees and all 9TH
er items in any way connected with the
conduct of high-rate stable. There is
a scale of fees for the services of jock
evs. but 1t is not at all rigidly adhered
to. The track rules provide for a GER
tain sum when the Jockey has winning
mount, and a smaller one when his
horse loses. But 1t is customary in or
9inary races TO pay good jockey sou
for riding, win or lose.
eff the race to be ridden IS of great
Importance" I asked, does the jockey
receive anything in addition to his reg
ular fee?"
"Oh. yes The best known riders are
all in demand at fancy prices For In
stance, If any horse of mine should hap
pen to win the Futurity l would GER
tain1y present the jockey with rot less
than $1,000"
Rather tidy pay for few minutes
work.
In preparing a horse for the racing
season it is customary TO begin long
time in advance. Three months OF train
ing Is by no means long period or pre-