The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-27
st. Louis Turf Patrons Desir;
Steeplechasing-Track Own
ers Favorably Disposed.
EXCUSES FOR POOR WORK.
A Turfman Cites a Case Wherein
1t Is Shown How an Unsuccess-
full Trainer Worked a Lot of
Harm by Explaining.

There seems to be quite a disposition
among the patrons of the turf about St.
Louis to demand something spectacular. as
Well as speculative, for their money this
season. There also seems to be a DISPOSE
tion on the part of the race-track owners
to meet the public demand. which is a
very remarkable and surprising disposition.
indeed.
This public longing for the spectacular in
horse racing is evinced in a demand for
steeplechasfrg. Among American turfmen-
that is. professional, betting-ring turfmen-
and there are few of any other kind
steeplechasing has always been regarded
with dtsfavo-. Race-track owners and
bookmakers do not like it because steeple-
chases are poor betting races. You know,
most track owners and the ookmake
measure racing by the wads in the cashiers
boxes. No race is a good race with them
unless the betting ON it is heavy and in
the favor of the layer of odds. The public
does like s~teeplechasing as a spectacle, but
not as a betting proposition, for steeple-
chases are perhaps undeservedly famous
Tor their crookedness and jobbery. Yet
every time one of them is run every man,
woman and child on the track is high in
the stand watching the race instead of
standing on the ground with back to the
track listening to the official caller as they
do while nat races are being run
Bookmakers hate the steeplechase,, be-
cause people will go to look at it-not to
bet on 1t. They cry mo jumpers. They
are an crooked and rob the public Why
Why not turn states on 1t and refuse to
book to it,. Let it be run for pure sports
sake and the purse; Then there will not
oe any cheating. or course. the bookmak-
CTS VII moi nav for a rqNa fhaN, nov fl,n
purses In all races if they cannot book
to it: They overlook the fact that the
2Ihmipang sop race may ;Sys act as the gsudy fly
tne gudseon. The spectacle may bring peo-
pie who might not come without it. They
might bet on other races. Thus the book
to pay for a purse for a race. Yet steeple-
chasing might make it worth their while
at the gate.
The idiotic Turf Congress rule which
obltges race tracks to give certain purses
IN every race. thus making the win of a
horse. operates against steeplechasing. 1t
obliges track owners to put up too much
money for jumpers. though a good jumper
is worth as much as any other kind of a
good horse. AS a rule. however, jumpers
are ex-fiat racers found lacking in speed
or staying power. and 1t does not seem
reasonable at first that a fiat racer who
was not worth two saddle towels should
get as much money for winning over the
jumps as a cup horse does for winning a
terrific race on the fiat. In England the
cup morse gets the money, and the jumpers
must take less. save in the isolated cases
OF stalk like the Grand National and the
Lincolnshire Hurdle. But the race pleases
thing more for their money than a chance
touts.
Fair Grounds and Delmar Park are not OPP
posed to steeplechasing, In fact. that they
rather favor 1t: While the desire to main
a social feature may prohibit steeplechasing
there-the horses would ruin the links-Del-
mar Park with its hills and dales, its
d:tches. should provide a steeplechase
course out of sight.
steeplechases are popular and profitable
New Orleans. So they might make a hit in
st. Louis.
for $4,000. 1t is a good price for a good
horse. There never has been a 2-year-old
nearer worth the monsy than the son of the
funny, this hearing of Schneider selling a
horse. for he always has been buying them
and never selling. The Dutchman seems to
n naye !, his n;sa ,usS t comm aas t back Saape to a S,m; sch hyibsr
has faults. He has opinions. good and bad,
sound and unsound. fair and unfair. Broken
as his dialect Is when he RACES. he never
failed to make himself understood when
he expressed them. Schneider was spoiled
in his turf infancy by having 1t perpetualiy
drummed into his ear that he was the only
that he got to believing 1t. Then he be
came unpleasant when he began expressing
his opinion 1sloa c Of other 1srd t1 nt ! VENT sy ana am t bs
turf he was not alone In his probity and
integrity. He has experienced a lot of hard
fortune in recent years. hut II seems N maj
the tickle Jade Is again smiling on her
fayorite. Schneider is popular about st;
Louis. He lives near his city: WITH az AZ
is gratitude. He never forgot a good turn.
This one saving grace goes a long way 10
counter balance the faults ne may nave.
.If there is one man on the turf more
contemplate than another. 1t is the trainer
who sells a horse as a dead one and then
the horse into winning form" says a turf
man. IT have in my minds eye one trainer
who had a very fine stable of picked horses
t%rqna resa Tbs hoe 3. c0 Were es bought Rflt'o when
they were good ones. TIL succeeding year
they ran poorly. when the owner de-
a %snae the w Weight ne the wa san %fs Msan w saee giy-
ing them, the way they got off at the post,
the ride they received and the stun the
feedman supplied. The result of this was
that a good judge, a good starter and good
Jockeys and honest providers of stable sup
plies got into the bad graces of this turf
man, who was a power In the sport. The
following year the stable was discontinued
and the horses sold. They were bought by
different people. All of them were not
only winners. but turned out horses of ex-
ceptional merit as well. Now. when a horse
Is good before you buy him. bad while you
have him. and good again when you sell
him, you naturally want to know what fs
wrong. So 1t was in this case. People be-
gan to inquire why previously good horses
did not run well in certain hands and then
after leaving them ran well again, What
excuse could the trainer give. but that they
were doped? To cover up his own inability
to make horses run under him as they did
under capable men. an incompetent man
accuses competent ones Of resorting to
Legitimate and ruflanly practices to
achieve success that he could not gain.
What IL the limit In the way of libel and
traduction? %