New-York tribune., 1909-02-08
COMMENT ON SPORTS
DFNAND FOR TROTTERS'
Mems and VseUs on Current Topics,
Amateur and Professional.


-, .,s +bose interested in this branch OF sport
The racing Of trotters and pacers while never 90
,.,r,,lar with the masses as the racing OF thUi-
ouEhbreds zas said 10 be dependent 70 q IATse
.zfent On betting and the privilege OF selling pools
-rhss argument al least, advanced previous 10
In, massage OF the Agnew Hsrt law al Albany last
wear and spparsntiy with good reason IL "sS
-,osn+ed out that the passage Of the law against
roolseIrfnz and bookmaking would not only put
ar END 70 thoroughbred racing, hut would curtain
and interfere largely with the breeding ana Eaoils
of hight harness horses. The passage OF 1he Id"
go 1,rsne thoroughbred racing to an eV1i pass
-. e--.+. +.lz- Cor those interested in the sport as
/. sport has not killed II yet while so lar as can
be Judged. II has had no effect whatever on the
1fq17t harness tIrf- The demand for good racing
stock Is quite strong * not stronger IiaH
evc- sn6 1bos. who feared for the worst are con-
erzt1,Is+ns themselves snd looking forward Opt
.rListsca1iy TO the future.
Win. standing nesr the aucsioneor's booth on
Thursday when vflkerson. green trctter, was
sol5 @or $3.50 g well known horseman who IS IN
feres1ed IN the breeding and raising OF thoroush
zreds turned 70 me and asked why 'he Nal ~
.,,o,,l5 not be SO strong for thoroughoreos as Io
*-o+fe-s sna pscers This led quite discussion,
sad the general conclusion among nurnoer q
those present that no comparison coulu pe
rnzde IS the conditions under "hloh tne @ Io
e-e conducted were so different thcroueLi'
-.,t-- demands 10 2 large extent on the patronage
Of one district for long periods or u1ne- ~ Wiz
-a xar4ous trctti-lg meetings are scattered over
1-ep
never last FIVE or SIX GAYS. Il -
.he+ she cost Of maintaining plants for rnoroush-
e,-e5 racing is much greater Il Is Qulte pio 80, ~
H,ruyexsr that the stewards Of the Jockey N4NN a
4lefr effort TO build up thoroughbred rsclns oioe ~
- In fo5lo-z- the example Of the British Jockey
club and of the t-otting horsernen IN thiS CouH
Nv limiting the meetings and spreaolns tieNt ,t- =
-srne over wider area Those VINO nave ss 80 -
.,+eres1s Of the sport At heart are not saI4seu
- IS. last wear following the passage OF ui0
Lrneu-F Hart bin was fair one inasnuGh - g -
-,s+ho5s of enforcing the law serVeo 70 o!
-s,rs z9,o loved the sport, as well as uose NIO
--7-, s-tsnded for the sake OF gettans D71 -
- +ha- +hs courts have gone so far TOWARD m
+.-n-e+inR the new lazy the real test can De NO me-
:, +r,a -esult Of which the future OF tnot0ue4'i
-srinz N this state must rest
r,s- what effect the passage Of the
,.- in California VIII have Is haro 70 Is, - -
--,,-,le- Of horseueu 70 whom L laIAIG- -.
c.-- - as q hnal blow 90 the breeolhs IiuI2I 80
- To The new California Jockey CluO
= s+-o,e enough to do what the JOCKEY -, - -
ss aiming for the sport may De saveu - T-l,s-a
,bare IS every indication that II VIII DC - - -s-e
--s17 re far less racing N he near - for
-, -. a, the mast but that in itself may "oTA1oI
- Tbe tine was when could nol s lOoA
me bright side OF the situation eno II : - e. +bs
,l. that an far 100 optir2.Stic now. ". ,.s
Get AZ least an consinced that Ihe spoi 80 &c
o ,nreren- interest in itself TO live ana eve"
--osrsr without organized bookrrakine
-. - 800 ever 10 attend the nidwtnter sale'
- +-T1-as with him as to the chances tha1 oui
a-,s-soan thoroughbreds, including conn -.
T9-isoiIlizn and Fair Play have IN EHs-@.-o S-I
.- TTrlise = number Of foreign cr1raos' ms oP4+
80. - american thoroughbred appeared 70 De
- an. which may be due partly TO the Iac'
80 ne saw Colin win the Belmont STAKES Ias
s,-s-e and Ballet race to victory IN the 0up g
r7e said that If the leading American s lloe 80
on The chances Of their playing prominent par'
a. -. tsq Ax41res for which they are eL-ginle were
particularly bright, inasmuch as the leaolns noi
n England at this time were rather HooeEace Lh
class He said further that the olI-cI1 -, =
er in assigning top weights TO Ballot ana conn IL
=. Great Jubilee Handicap had been foroeo 10
tts. position from the very fact tha1 america
form conveyed no impression 70 his nlno ana that
be felt called on to that they were the nest
horses In ths country
-rls or,fnion concerning the class Of the Enghsh
horses at this tine substsntated by RaPler une
xveu known English critic who SAID IN a recent
tss,,a of The Illustrated Sporting and Dramauo
.-.-s... I'VE have struck q vein Of moderate
5orsss Sust now quite agree with the remark
heard the other TO the effect that there Is an
suerins for equine idol Since Pretty fonS
.bere has been no animal whose appearance ere
zFe5 enthusiasm, IT was observed. and so quickly
,ss time pass-I do not suggest this an entirely
novel otservetion-it is chCut to realize that she
won her th-ee-year-old race fEe seasons since IL
-he uubeaten Colin Ballot Priscillian and Fair
A.
.n this country England will not lack an equine
sdos or two this season
.r,,z. interested IN track and field athletics have
fean waiting patiently for some further word con-
o~r4,,ns the building Of big athletic field near Van
cortlsndt Psrk to take the place IN the nnetropol-
stsn district Of Berkeley OvsL which was lost some
years ago through the irexorsble advance OF a
growing city. The plan for e big stadium In Cen
rrsl Park did not appeal strongly as the
-ss, % 6tlild a bfe- athletic field Van CoTt
isrdt The need for such place is emphasized by
<he near approach of the annual meeting OF the
1ntercoIegiats Association Of Amateur Athletes
of America when the ael6 for the thirty-fourth
snnual track and field games TO be held late in
May must be decided on These games were last
held IN New York in 1893, but since then Franklin
Field 81 Philadelphia the Stadium at Cambridge
has been used the only available place In all
probability Cambridge will get the call this year.
sad that means lot more travelling for the ath-
letes than would be II this city prop
e-ly equipped with good running track It Is TO
Re hoped that the time Is not far distant when
what should be the centre OF athletic activity
boast o. a field second TO n the country.
John P GIansD Wagner, the champion batsnan
of ths world, has declared himself
besrg through with professional baseball for all
tine The baseball fans do not take him seriously.
as this the first time that he has threatened
70 retire. from what close friend OF his told
me q few Gays ago is in dead earnest this time
The passing Of Hans Wagner would be fatal /
blow the championship aspirations Of the Pitts
burg club. The Pirates without Wagner would be
like the pirate ship with the rudder gone and the
black fiag hauled down, for he has stood IN the /
breach time and time again and batted out the
inst made victory possible. Wagner Joined the /
Louisville GLIB in 1897, and played with team
three years In 1899 be TO Pittsburg and has
uIaved with the Pirates ever since He has headed
the batting list in the National League no fewer
than six times. and for the last three seasons in