Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-16


not far from breakdown. In Mr.. Bonners
stable she regained all that she had
lost Trotters and paosrs often need
the most skilfu adjustment Of the
weights on the shoes or plates which
they wear In races or trials or on the
roads, in order that they may show their
highest speed. No one ever surpassed
Mr.. Ronner in his capacity for putting
an additional ounce on one foot and
taking an ounce from another with so
brilliant adoption of means TO ends that
the pace OF the trotter was accele ated
10 an astonisn ing extent.
Up to this POINT this article has been
considering Legitimate and proper
means for handling horses by such
methods that they will excel all their
previous exploits. But the history of
the running and trotting turf in several
countries has been stained by trickery
10 numerous cases of urugging and
doping" horses so as to grab unfair
advRn tages, Smart fascals in the
United States discovered even before
the Civil War that combinnt ons Of
drugs could be administered to runners
and trotiers which would excite the
dulleHt beast and put wings to the
heels Of the slowest. Many prizes were
captured by owners and trainers in
races which the. could not have carried
off hut for the stutling of horses vii
med zines. No turf association of i'm
nnitenoe has made practice of for
bidding the pouring of rum, or whisky,
Vi b amy down horHe 9 throat, before
race, ii the stimu ant is gwen with
out the infusion of a emit drugs Many
faint hearted ours among the runners
and trotters have surpasssd their own
standard o. speed when plenti1 ully ex.
| hiiarated with Dutch courage. Drunken
harass, like drunken men, sometimes do
things under the influence OF aoohol
| which they could not do if in their
| sober Senses But on the illegitimate
outlaw TRACKS INSCRIPTIONS intfiguers
many years ago began to make use OF
| o eotric batteries concealed in the
saddles or under the othes CT the
! jockeys. When the critical moment
came the rider could shock the horse
4 with the electric current Id such a
| inanneg that the startled beast would
redouble his speed for a few bound.
anu by that bewildered burst of speed
wonid overcome his rivals, The use oil
electrical devices was so manifestly
evil and improper that it has been pro
| hibited on every reputable rsce course
and race track in the world. But for a
time electricity filled the pockets oi
audacious eohemers.
Doping or the interr ositior Of
drugs that would heat the brains, nerves
and muscles OF a runner or t:otter with
volcanic fire for time, was also ar
unr ghteous outcome of the OUTLAW
tracks 10 this country, and it became sc
serious an abuse that tho American
jockey Club was forced to adopt riRor
GUS measures foi its suppression. The
doses wers administered through th,
mouth or by iniedtion under the Skin
with diminutive hollow needle, smila
TO that in vogue among the victims o
the opium habit when they take opium
ypodermically. Cocaine is always al
.elenent in the mixtures that knavisl
horsemen rely up3n 10 plots to capture
prizes illeeitimately. Cunning, duplict,
and consoienceless shrewdness haEi
enabed many trainers here and abroad
to enrich themselves by stufiing thei
horses with drugs. 1t ia q fac. gener
ally recognized among those who knty
what has been going on under the sur
face Of the turf that several of the mos
prosperous trainers in the United State
and in Great Britain have been guilt
of doping their horses freely an
frequently. II is not an easy task {
prove beyond cavil tire otienses of thes
rascals, but no intelligent turfman VIII
has watched the in and out perform
ances Of certain runners handled by Gel
tain trainers d 1uots that those ANNA
have been 'doped' and drugged agai
and again MS wiclsedIy as were ever th
worst OF the inveterate victims of tn
opium dens of Chinatown.