Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-05
TURF PEOPLE ARE
ALL STIRRED UP
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ter without the least Partially either way.
that there have been a whole lot of things
that couldn't" be done that "have been
done. For example, 1 recall very wildly
how the racing crowd out in st. Louis
said. only few years ago. that Gov.
Folk and his supporters couldn't put
stop to racing in the state of Missouri;
that the racing interests were too strong.
and that they'd "tie Folk hand and foot
the minute he tried any such a thing.
Yet he stopped racing in Missouri right
enough-stopped it so effectually that
there hasn't been a thoroughbred race in
that state since he got after it tooth and
nail in answer to their challenge.
When the warning turf interests got to
scrapping out in Chicago and Carter Har-
rison, then mayor, took a hand in the
business and announced that if the turf
people didn't behave he'd stop racing al
together in Chicago. they laughed at him.
1t couldn't be DONE they said. The
racing people were too strongly en-
trenched. But there hasn't been a race
in Chicago, either, since Harrison took up
the sharp stick in answer to that de-
fiance.
The opinion may be ventured, however,
that if Gov. Hughes does succeed in put
ting stop to racing in this state he will
have won the biggest fight that he is
ever likely to encounter in his executive
career. AS the turf saying runs. He'll
know that he has been to the races if he
wins" Racing is entrenched ten to one
more strongly in this state than it ever
was in any of the western states, and
when the fight begins it will be found
that it roots down to and beyond Wall
street-and that will help to complicate
matters, let it be remembered.
Racing Immature Horses.
When the turtles over here are not
tanning over the probable outcome of this
projected fight they are dwelling upon
the need of turf legislation which will put
a stop to such affairs as these three-fur-
long races for baby two-year-ods that are
run from the very beginning of the year
at the New Orleans and California tracks.
There is beginning to be a strong demand
that two-year-olds shall not be run at
all, on any track, until at least the mid
die of their two-year-old year. AS it is
some of the little weedy uniformed things
that slosh around on the winter tracks
are hardly better than yearlings, and few
of them are ever fit for much after they
get sort of an early campaigning.
There are, Of course, exceptions, but
the exceptions are young horses of pc
culiar soundness and hardness and even
more than one case out Of fifty.
Last year Notasulga, a really good fiily,
was brought up to the New York tracks
after hard lot of grueling at the winter
| tracks of New Orleans, and, for while,
she made good around here. She won
some high-class races. and for time it
looked as if she might prove to be the
best trick of her age in training. But
the effects of her hard winter hammering
soon became apparent and they had to
f,1-y, har ia a In a a
when she might, with proper handling,
have won some splendid stakes. AS it is,
nobody can possibly have a chance ever
to know just how good this FLY was. She
behaved and raced like a first-rate one
and If she had been saved to race until
she was ready to race there are plenty OF
sharps who maintain that she'd unques-
tionably have turned out one of the great
mares of her time.
Eight or nine years ago a little bit of
a thing named Navasota cleaned up all
of the two-year-old races in sight down
in New Orleans, and when this one, too.
was brought up to the New York races
she looked mighty good for a while. But
the batting around they'd given her in
the Louisiana mud told on her, and she
quickly subsidized after showing some
great flashes here. with many of the wise
ones, however. averring that if she'd been
let alone until she was ready she too,
would have added her name to the honor
roll for her sex in the later years.
Nobody will ever know. either, just how
good that little mare of Barney Schrei-
ber's. Sofala. would have been if she'd
not been sent to the races until her bones
hardened. Schneider sent her after the
money on the first day of the new year
six or seven years ago, and the way she
went out and got the purses before she
really was old enough to know what she
was doing with a bride on was astonish-
ing. Sofalo If remember correctly, won
no less than thirteen straight races, car
rying crushing weights, during the first
two months of her babyhood. Then. as
a natural result. she subsidized. Schneider
feels bad about that business yet and
shakes his head ruminatively every time
Sofala's name is mentioned to him. He
has good reason. indeed, to suppose that
the little filly might have come on to be
as great as Imp and Miss Woodford apd
Yorkville Belle if she'd only been let
alone till she had a chance to attain
something approximating her growth.
Done Better Abroad.
This is one of the things they do bet
ter in England. Horses don't reach any
set age over there by the mere arbitrary
process of turning the corner of JanuarJ
the first. and two-year-olds are not al
| lowed to run until they've got their
| growth. They are even more rigid about
| the matter in France, and over there
two-year-olds really are almost in their
| three-year-old form before they first face
! the barrier. AS matter of fact, in
England and France some of the crack
horses are not raced at all until they are
actual three-year-olds it being the per-
fectly correct theory of their owners that
a thoroughbred isn't fit to wear the pig
skin until he takes on his complete
growth.
This is a matter that has often been
| agitated before, but SO strong is the feel
ing about it just now that it is said to be
| likely that at the next meeting of the
| Jockey Club some sort of rule will be
made establishing the exact period in a
young horses age when he will be al
| lowed to go to the races for the first time.