New-York tribune., 1897-08-29
RELMAR IN A HARD DRIVE.
FEATURES OF THE RUNNING CONTESTS.
pIrTsBURG PHIL LOST HEAVILY ON uRiEl-THE
p1,BI1c TIRED OF sTEEPLECHAsEs.

PUBLIC TIRED OF sTEEPLECHASEs.
The National Government Is now paying out
about $40 cD0.0o) each year for pensions. Might IL
not be a gratifying plan to add to the pension Ist
the names OF all owners. trainers ana riuers OF
steeplechase horses? To do this would not swell
the total CT pensions by more than a few hundred
thousand dollars at most Owners. trainers and
riders OF steeplechase horses seem to feel that they
have done so much for America that adequate re-
wards should be assigned to them. WHY not put
them on the pension list then? The Tribune has
uado II clear by repeated explanations that
steeplechases and hurdle races In this part OF the
country are as unacceptable 10 reasonable beings
as General Cos's yawning pitfalls in Flith-ave
annear 10 be The most arluous of explorers. the
most indofatgabie Of dscoverers cannot hnd any
satisfactory excuse for steeplechases and hurdle
races on American racetracks at this period AS
The Tribune has said over and over again. s'eePie-
chasing and hurdle racing in Great Britain ana
on the Contnen, of Europe have sufficient reason
for existence because jumping contests on the
other side of the Atlantic kept up on an ex-
tensiye and liberal scale. On the ease side Oh Inv
ocean which separates the Old World from 'he
New men OF weight and distinction own steepie-
chasers and hurdle racers. Az LWerpool al Nu
,auu and elsewhere in the Eastern Hemisphere
s,eonIechasing and hurdle racing hold notable
mace among the sports which enlist the ioYai a'o
~ he friends Of honorable rivalry among horses OF
the choicest breeding But in 'he Cni'ea state
unfortunately. thoroughbred ieapers nave oe'"
looked upon lightly in recent years
In The seventies and eighties Pierre IoTiilarn
lanes G X Lawrence and other well-knowh ana
influential turfmen owned and raced jumpers %
value and merit Charles Reed also owned reaper
,ha, could rise over walls and hedges anu pooiS
,,,b snirit and force and grace. Twenty-Five years
ago and for a number Of years IN the seNe"''
and eighties racing men OF the foremost ram
an ,be turf sent horses Of intrinsic worth over the
,urnps But in these days steeplechasing ana "u'uo
raclng have fallen into the wofu pit ana the n'iH
clay one OF the principal owners OF jumpers -,
,hese davs Is thck-headed and thick-wa's'ei
Young man who knows SO little about tur' d"a''
~, he "a general Laughing g-stOck. Steepiechaslns
snd burdle-racing have sunk 80 low tha' II Il ioo
,or anv racing association 70 waste MONEY on '"
rb,s e rich country. and it is growing ric"e'
every day. but most OF our RACING "N9O' f -
elnoos, destitute Few OF them pay more una" -
a, IAN, IN dividends each year. They need he'P'
,rhar cannot afford 10 be burdened longer Win '"e
hcayv handicap Of the "leppers Amer ''d"' a, "
8 nractical ard sensible people. Americans .ihF
honest racing al long distances. They ooh hNe
N he fooled Possibly London may De oe''''
market for gold bricks than New-lork IS NeN''
,be,ess II is certain that when Ergishmen num-
foxes they do really hunt foxes, ana ,heS uo "o'
hunt aniseseed bags. And when fnshsiin'" 30 ~
e,eenlechases and hurdle racers theY doh S41""U'
,ba,r time in watching the circus antics oi a IL"
commonplace beasts the property OF ''"s''"'
ouners who are proud because they have IN 'heir
stables a few scarecrows which can stagger over
a few withered bushes. James A bahe! "ie"'
es, Show on Earth exhibits better jumping "1n
the wretched farces which are often seen y" ~"
race,racks In the old days in America s'eepe-
oha-s o,d burdle-racers that were worth seeing
took mart in the battles the hedges ana walls
~ that era This year the equine pouioeiS anu
FOUNDERS in the East have been as rue' ~
mounts for Sancho Panza. Some OF the owners .,
these paralytic cripples have been esumao'e anu
honored gentlemen. Some OF the other owners oi
.kS
Sancho Pauza. .
1t is high time to have done with the nonsense
of jumping races and races for gentlemen fu''S
on the regular racetracks. Such AFFAIRS nave no"
degenerated TO mere rffraff in racing. Inc noie!
wasted on them is thrown away. No racing as
socaton in this State ought TO stoop 10 such gro
tesoue absurdities next year.
why will not racing men take a common-sense
view of turf matters? 1t is generally ackno"ledeeu
that the Eastern states Of this Union are tlrF
rnnresentative or the American people in educa-
;ion and enHgh How many OF these l-9 l-ds,
The racetracks say that they must have the pet
ting-rings or they must shut thelr ga.e| rac,nr
without betting-rngs they cannot carr! on -
except al loss II that IS true ineE cum No, ~
common-sense racing. all racing Wnic" rionS - l
appeal 10 the intelligence Of intelsel A%I,i % ~
e,ooe~n,acbosng and hurdlc-racing they are now
practised the regular rac"racks IN t',,0 or Hr'
sense Americans Therefore they ought 70 De % %apG-
ishcd Ana all races Tor Senilench - llur ,,,..
10 70 ,r Ie a'o'S nov are now managed And in add
ton the injurious excess o, sucn snof' OF nnbnr
ought 20 be curtaed Americans Ike long race r,
Lhen G HGr ,as. If the ability Of The horses They
desire 10 see contests which shai prove the stay
TT The Coney island Jockey Cub will fnd il wise
next year many races as possigIe Un ne ,b
Fnimr PAIN traGS eS.a @ American visitors raceracks
are, are cage 9ecdo6 % Lee sprg eDfy % ha Would be
nm few, races on the Futuriiy and TO run !
Ss as many anG 4a oroS,ed and demanded that
many races as possible should BE- run on me fu-
dcions 70 trv 20 please Inc public which supports
trainers who refse to enter horses unless the con-
dons Of RACES are 50 iranied a. sU6una1nfjI 60 min
programmes by withdrawing their horses after |
the names OF those horses nave been announced
In the lists % probable starters.
No one ought 10 forget the plain truth: In the great
place a; any time. In those States IN "hich no |
racing takes place the people seem 10 be as pros
gyates N when racing doe take place The people
o. the Empire State can exist without any racing !
They would be better of without any |
steeplechases or hurdie-races. anyway Inc people
OF this Empire long races. ana plenty OF
one oces IA omen sign, Of EVERYDAY Ana they don't
ries concealed in The dim distances OF the Futuriiy
There will be racing at SheePshead Bay on Mon Mon.
day, that is. tomorrow. Inc coney lsIand JC%Gkr| %
days in previous years but the experiment Of racing
on Mondays VIII have a compele and exhaustive |
TUESDAY and the next days sport Will be on |
Wednesday next glance over the lists OF PROB |
able starters for the six races tomorrow indicates
that II the Withdrawals are not excessive in num-
her the contests likely TO bee well fought ana 10
y ~ excsntlonal interest. Ben Brush and many |
other wen-k known horses are expected 20 take part
in the handicap at mile and furlong which VIII |
be the fifth -
The weather perfect YESTERDAY the rack |
uas fas; and the attendance was .alr James Cal |
way's Iydian was added 10 the list Of starters In
the Dash Stakes al five furlongs Lydlan was |
in a.. X.
was third In the Fuiurity. Urie was redch9t ,
favorite for the Dash Stakes. although The field |
was arge Iydan Il strongly backed second |
choice John f. Madden's Paudit, fourth in the
Futurity was third choice. Pittsburg Phil WAS so |