The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-23
ABOLITION OF HORSE RACING
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

seekers in 1919. But that state promptly
administered black eve to booi1making.
and some $4,000 worth OF racing plants
were rendered useless Then Louisiana
followed the example Of New York, and
betting was stopped at New Orleans.
Colorado also turned a cold shoulder 10
the sport and even Bennings, near Wash
ington, once the gathering place for sen
atoFs, Representatives and other high gov
eminent officials, has an unused track on
account of an anti-betting law.
In some states the war on racing has
been most dramatic. Next TO Governor
Hughes, the man who was principally re-
spoDsible for the outcome in New York
was Senator Voelker. On the day the vote
was TO be taken on the Hart-Ag new bill
those opposing its passage were confident
because Of the fact that Senator NOel6er
was seriously in. In violation Of the or
ders of his physician. this legislator was
carried on a cot into the senate cham
Der at Albany and cast the ballot that
decided the issue. In Louisiana a sena-
tor, so i'll that he was hardly able TO
stand arose from his seat at Baton Rouge
and virtually closed the tracks in that
state by his vote. In Missouri the ques-
ton was decided by Senator Hicks OF Sc
dalia. He first voted against the reform
legislation and explained that he did so
IN order 10 make good his promise 20 the
state fair people. This seemed to assure
the racing element a victory by the mar
rOWest Of margins, but on the deciding
ballot the senator changed his vote. He
explained that he had voted for the fair
people on the first test. but on the sec
Ond he voted for himself
The recent decisions Of the New York
courts that personal wagers would be
lawful has not helped the race tracks
much, as that sort of betting cannot be
safely INDUCED In except between friends.
But at the same time il has served to
SiYe people of means who visit the tracks
in parties all the excitement OF the old
hn -1fr mil
The tracks around New York are making
tremendous effort to pull through IN
spite of the heavy handicap under which
they labor, and even II they fail TO meet
expenses this year the season will not
be counted an entire failure.
The plight OF the thoroughbred does not
apply to harness racers. They have
value outside the race track, for fast
drivers are wanted on every speedway in
the country. The indications are that
light harness racing viii be more pOpu-
lar than ever since the eclipse of the
thoroughbred. The forthcoming season
promises many speedy youngsters. and
some OF the seasoned trotters and PAGERS
are showing remarkable speed in the
spring training.
The thoroughbred may well feel that it
was not always thus. Without going back
to the time when ThOthemes H. of the
eighteenth Egyptian dynasty. wrote in his
papyrus diary how he had acquired the
fastest race horses i'm the world or 10 the
time when King Solomon, Wisest of men.
acquired a racing stable. paying s3,e90 for
a single horse; without going back even
to England and her kings devoted to
racing, one can find George Washington
a lover of the turf and a judge of the
races.
Virginia is the mother OF the American
thoroughbred. Bulle Rock was first
brought there from England in 1870, and
a great sire he proved to be. The race
horse was the associate Of the cavalier,
4 ~
ginia and the Carolinas. Charleston, 8.
g., held the first regular race meet, and
the best horses of the south were there.
After South Carolina came Maryland and
IL is related that even the church looked
with kindly eyes upon the sport.
Puritan New England did not take
kindly to racing for many years, and
Dutch New York thought more about
draft horses than thorOughbreds Finally,
however. New York became interested III
the thoroughbred. and after a few years
John c. Stevens offered to back Eclipse
against all corners for $4,000 "a side. This
offer was intended especially as chal-
lenge TO the south. Colonel ". r. John
son, John Randolph of Roanoke, and
other southern breeders. took counsel
among themselves and accepted the chal-
lenge. They selected four horses to be
taken 10 New York, the best one at the
time TO go against Eclipse. John Rich
ards was regarded as the best Of the four,
but he was injured in training. Finally
Sir Henry was selected.
The order of the race was four mile
heats, best two out Of three. Even in
that early year Of 1923 more than 5000
people went TO the track to witness the
event. In the first heat Henry led all
the way. In the second he led for the
first three miles but lost by narrow
margin at the wire. Eclipse had safe
margin 1t the end OF the third heat. Thus
was won the first national race More
than 500. 600 changed hands on the event.
which was more money in that day than
81 OGy0 900 would be now. The running time
for the whole twelve miles was less than
two minutes to the mile
Copyright, 1909. by Frederic J. Haskin.)
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