The Washington times., 1901-12-30
Views Expressed by MIR. Natha- Z.
son, an Authority on Sport, for
Improving Interest in Meetings
and Increasing Opportunities Tor
Good Races.

lures as proved attractive then. but. if
possible, to improve upon them and make
them still more attractive.
Aside from the valuable stakes and
haadicaps which brought together the best
material to be had the most attractive
features were the steeplechase and hurdle
events, and it was noticeable that when
such races were on the card that there
was marked increase in the attendance.
This has been the experience on all the
jockey club tracks. which plainly demon
strates that the public takes kindly to the
jumpers and will patronize this kind of
sport. While the clubs have been willing
to encourage this style OF racing by Of
fering good purses to race for. they have
not received that encouragement from
owners to which they were entitled. Not
withstanding the desire of the public to
see races through the field 81 -yer the
sticks. and that large purses were offered.
the fields were Invariably small and the
class poor
1t is rather annoying to the juckey
clubs that after they hang up good purses
for steeplechase and hurdle events that
'he fields will be made up in many cases
Of no-account cripples and sulkers. with
out class. and even at that the numbers
are so few that the same horses start dsv
in and dar out.
II any Illustration were needed in regard
to the present state of things. so far as
it refers to steeplechase races. all one
has to do is to turn TO the meeting now
in progress at New Orleans. Here. too.
they are trying to give the public taste
OF timber topping. but up to date with
very Indifferent success. The trouble is
they have neither quality nor quantity.
for, out of 200 or 500 Sorses quartered at
the track. less than twenty have been
schooled to the jumps. and Of these
it is doubtful if there are half dozen
capable of going over full steeplechase
course. When these races are given the
same horses are entered all the time. and
a majority Of the races have been won BY
three horses-Bristol, Golden Link, and
Glissando.
What the jockey clubs need and what
the public desire is that more horses and
better horses should be sehooled for these
events, so as to make il possible for
framed the same as races on the fiat. sell
ing, conditioned. and beaten-horse purses
II owners will only appreciate the Efforts
that jockey clubs are making 70 promote
this class OF sport they will give the mat
ter more attention than heretofore and
train some OF their charges to go through
the field that have been unsuccessful on
the fiat
If cripples and sulkers can be converted
N n lu-fr1
sibilities OF sound horses winning ought
TO be much better. AS the case stands
now the number OF horses trained for
steeplechase or hurdle racing is so few
and the class so widely different that the
best that can be done is TO make all the
events handIcaps-and it is no easy mat
ter to bring such horses together by
weight
George Tompkius. a prominent and
successful trainer o; jumpers. who mas
raced in the West for the past two sea
sons, recently received a letter from
Secretary Nathanson, OF the Harlem
Jockey Club. on this subject, and as Mr..
Nathanson placed no restrictions on the
use OF the letter. it is given here. with
his permission. verbatim;
Il am starting the work of preparation
for next years racing and one Of the
most perplexiug questions is that in ref
erence TO jumping rae, IS you well
know. racing over the ST has become
very popular with the Chicago public. and
for two seasons past our efforts to i'm
prove the class and number OF jumping
horses have been earnest and constant,
but have not been appreciated by owners.
We have given purses and stakes OF
good value-far better than the class OF
performers warranted-but have had to
content ourselves with a handful of fair
ones. and such cripples and no-accounts
as have been attracted to schooling sim
ply by reason of what looked like soft
money.
We are very anxious to promote the
jumping end OF our sport. and / want
some suggestions to that end from you.
Why cannot We get horses from the East
and South, and plenty of them, to mix
with those in our own territory, so that
races are not forever won by the same
little bunch? II is because of the latter
state of things that we are forced TO
make all our races handicaps.
1T we had the horses | would be more
than glad to offer all kinds-selIiug. con-
ditioned, and beaten horse purses-so as
to mix class and form and keep up con-
stant interest and study. If the number
Of horses was sufficient ! would be only
too glad to give a hurdle or steeplechase
race every day. We are making all our
jumps in the field OF sod. doing away
turning our inside track into a grass
course and will finish all races through
the field on the inside.
with a grass course you see there is
an opportunity to give welterweight Hat
races In which many Of the jumpers could
take part. There is nothing within rca-
son that we will not do to boom the
jumpers, and | would really like to see
some Indications OF encouragement from
owners so that when We open our mid
summer and fall stakes We can have good |
reason to offer good money for and in
crease a. number Of fixtures for the |
Jumpers"
The above letter covers the ground |
thoroughly, and what is true Of the con
ditiCns at the Harlem track. is true of |
every track In the country. There is no |
man better qualified to speak Gu the sub !
ject than Mr. NathansOn, and ht has done |
more 10 promote the best interests OF |
racing than any one man In the West. |
Owners and trainers VINO have raced AT
Harlem are loud in their praises of the |
treatment accorded them, and are al |
wa IS anxious to come again. The steeple
chase course is one OF the best in the |
country and men vino have raced over it |
pronounce it fully as good as the Sleeps |
head Bay turf course. Walter Cleary and |
Woodpigeon. well known steepleShasers. |
owned by j. W Colt. are to arrive at |
Beuning next week. and will be put in
preparation for future engagements By |
Gwyn T0mpklns, now training for j. d. |
Va