The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-08-18
NEWS AND GOSSIP OF
THE N TURF.
Recent Developments in st Louis Situation Prove That Sport Pro-
tests Against Being Made a Business-Talking About Trainers.

by Johnnie Huffma, last spring. A group
of horsemen were discussing the sport at
the Jockey Club when the question of train
Ing came up. OF course, the best trainer
in the country was soon under discussion.
Tom Hayes talked well of Higgins. Joe
Holloway. the English horseman. had good
words for Enoch Wishard. John Hachmeis-
ter liked Sam Hildreth. and Joe Martin jim
my Rowe. Mr.. Huffman stands high smcSs
made the Kendall stable famous. and just
at that time his 2-year-olds were beating
the world at the Fair Grounds. He had a
sayso.
IF YOU asked me-" said Mr.. Hoffman,
! who is the best trainer l know. I would say
| Tom Stevens is There are trainers who can
get horses ready early trainers who can rush
them into condition. trainers who can hold
them In condition after being there. train
ers who are slow but sure. trainers who can
get them high in flesh and make them good.
and trainers who can get them good while
low in flesh. Now. II there is a man on
earth who can do all these things. it IL Tom
| any one Of them quite as well as any man
know. He can get them ready in a hurry.
II he wants to. He can keep them in condi-
spring he will teach his 2-year-olds to break
in a hurry for the short distances. Then in
the fall. when they get going a route. he
will have another lot that will begin slowly
and come like the evil one In the stretch.
He never has one that will not run in mud
better than on n dry track.
Then continued Mr.. Huffman. Tin enc
respect his preparation is the best in the
world. He will have a horse as broad on
the back as a barn door. plenty of flesh
there and down his quarters. Then his
sides. belly. legs. brisket and other places
where a horse will hang fat are as clean as
his driving gear. was feshed in consonance
with his upper body. he would be fat as a
hog. But so wonderful Is the Stevens prep
that he can put 200 pounds of flesh on a
horses back and loins and quarters. yet
not a superfuous ounce will lie below the
saddle skirts"
Those who have watched Mr. ct.rans,s
horses work about ST. Louis this season
must admit the truth of Mr. Hufman's
Wyeth: Lunar Gallagher and
others We're perfect specimens of the con-
ditioned thoroughbred. Lunar when she left
MI; Stevens's hands was a perfect picture.
Individually. a beautifully conformed mare
Of delightful poise and perfect carriage. the
manner of her condition made her a model.
Great layers of sound flesh. half muscle. lay
ear: tremendous muscles in the thighs.
spare ribs and belly: legs of steel-she Ger
tainly was a beauty. Lunar still is a pic
eure. but she has thinnei of a great deal
and hardly is as heavy by fifty pounds as
she was when Mr.. Gumberts bought her
from Mr.. Stevens.
ne Is not eager to make it public. either.
for which he cannot be blamed. A certain
party. who WINS c%oursing greyhounds. ad-
miring the Stevens high prep" thought
he would Ike to amply IT to his greyhounds.
So he asked Mr.. Stevens how he could put
SO much flesh on top and so little below.
Give me the dogs to train for YOU" was
the apt answer.
While on the subject Of training the work
done by Bill Dixon on the Bratton horses
comes up for a word of favorable comment.
Dixon took horses like Verify. turned down
by Abe Calm. a crack handler: Sard. given
IN by Lou Calm. another great trainer:
Meddlesome. given Up by Fay: Judge Pet
tus. lame and thrushy, and not only has
managed to get good work ont of them,
hut put them back in their best form. Yer
tfy. who was so bad when Mr.. Dixon got
him some three weeks ago. never was so
good az now. Sard is probably the. best g.
year-old Splinter at the ST. Louis tracks
with light weight on him. Neddlesome has
improved rapidly under the Dixon manage
inert. and Mr.. Bratton. who was some So
coo behind on the first two months running
OF his stt bic. is now counting up a profit.
]. B. SHERIDAN.