New-York tribune., 1901-07-14
RECORDS ON TURF AND TRACK

The year is more than half over, and while
the newspapers have had a great deal to say
about the feats of thoroughbred runners, both
in America and in Europe, no remarkable eX-
plOits have been credited anywhere to the trot
tiers and the PAGERS. 1t may be that before the
season is ended the swiftest of the horses which
show their speed in harness may equal or excel
the achievements of previous years, but no eX-
ceptional triumphs In drawing sulkies or wagons
over the measured mile have been recorded so
far in 1901 And yet II cannot be doubted that
the number of trotters and PAGERS in the United
States capable of putting records in danger is
larger than ever before. The probabilities are
that their owners have been holding lot up
their sleeves, and have delightful surprises in
store for the lovers OF sport.
The managers and superlntendents of the
courses over which running horses meet in the
hottest of contests In this country have been
employing every device this season TO make the
arenas in which these battles are decided so
hard and so elastic that records will be broken
whenever IL Is possible to smash them. In
Great Britain the thoroughbreds invariably run
on the incompatible turf with which nature has
favored the island. And in France and in Ger
many. in Poland and Austria, IN Russia and
italy in Australia and New-Zealand, the four
footed ayers struggle for honors and prizes
on the grass. In the United States the violent
changes in temperature, the severe cold or
winter and the whitening heats of summer
check the growth of such turf as that on which
races are run In the Old World and also in
Australia Yankee runners and trotters race on
dirt tracks. which carefully built up and
prepared at heavy expense. In constructing
these American courses they can be so made
that they will be soft and yielding TO the hoofs
of the horses. When they are put together
after that fashion. the racers are less likely TO
become lame and in desperate struggles
but fast time is out of the question.
A passion for breaking records has become
prevalent among our jockey clubs. and race
course EXPERTS have worked over the trucks
until they have made them extremely hard and
compact and horses of little value have caused
much idle and foolish talk by winning races in
amazingly fast time But this is n passing fad
and n silly one The true test OF the merit OF
any horse lies In his ability to defeat other
horses of his class In decisive style, no matter
what may be the time recorded The greatest
horses ever known were not in the hablt OF
breaking records They were so FAR superior
10 the rivals pitted against them that they con-
ouered their adversares in one tremendous
rush and then came home at their leisure of
course, It Is different matter when racer Is
engaged in q special match against time. Ihen
no ,s called upon to move at his best gait from
start to finish-that is. the pest gait which he
can keep I'D without faltering or slackening.
Taking all things into account, the running
horses in America have been so much talked
ahout this season that the trotters and PAGERS
have been comparatively ignored. But the time
is close at hand when the harness horse Will
step 10 the front. And he is likely TO do things
which will prove that he is not below the high
est standard of the years which have gone be-
fore