The Washington times., 1910-02-07
Millionaire Believes Long
Races Will Upbuild
the Turf.
ARE BETTER TESTS
TOATHOROUGHBRED
Traction Magnate Trying 10 IN
terest Stewards In His
Plans for Revival

NEW YORK. Feb. IAN effort IS be
ing made to revive Iorg-distance races in
this country. The principal advocate for
the races that demand speed. endurance.
and courage Is one Of the latest patrons
Of the tUrf-ThOmas Fortune RYAN The
great traction magnate has been con
sultina some Of the stewards OF the
Jockey Club on the subject. and trying
10 inject into them some Of his enthu-
siasm for this particular branch Of
racing.
This subject Of Iong-distance races.
the four-miie kind-heats, too. II horse
men viii see II that ways not hobby
with Mr.. Ryan, but is deeply rooted
conviction that races over long routes
are contests behttinE thoroughbreds,
and not the present-day spirits Of I'VE,
six. and seven fIrlOngs
Since EIr. Ryan was Introduced 70
lacinE he has maintained that the
proper contests between running horses
should be over long routes. from
mile TO four miles He talked over this
subject with the late ". g. Whituey-
Since his direct personal interest II
tborouEhbreds and their breeding, M
Ryan has been pleading for a return 20
the days when endurance. courage, and
speed were the dominant factors in
contest between horses and not the
starters nag. as al present
Are Too Short
Mr. Ryan believes that under pres
ent conditions the struggles are so short
that an advantage gained at the start
very often decides q race Under such
conditions the very thing sought after
by breeders extreme speed, frequently
Is placed ~ naught because che horse
that possesses that high quality may
he handicapped by so much ground lost
at the rise OF the barrier that he Is
unable. despite his greet speed 10 catch
his opponent OF account OF the short
distance Of the race Thus the starter
is more potent than -aC speed Of a
racer. and the very object CT the race.
q contest with the ultimate result OF
success for the fastest horse. defeated
an Eyan's perspective OF racing con-
dtLlCllS at the present time IL better
that that OF some who have been IN
touch with the sport for wears He can
see 'the faws IN 1t Moreover. he real
IZ6S That n interest III racing = 10 DC
revived tire present methods must be
siderrackeu and new features introduced
70 whet the appetite Of the present day
surEeit Of fve-furloue dashes down the
c1utes- To the rank and file OF track
patrons SuCn races have no attraction
They want ctiCk action. bur no man has
race because & ansorbs his attention for
two three four or Eve minutes
As Drawing Cards.
As q matter Of fact, It IS the races Of
medium diSta1ce-Iong races the pres
ent-day racegoer Classics them-that
are the magnets which draw the crowds
20 the tracks at present As q drawing
card the Brooklyn and Suburban Handi-
CaIS, at one and a quarter miles. are
worth twice as much 10 their respective
track revenues as the F-uturity. Who
cares the values Of q 5ow-wCw about
that fash In the pan CoutesI2 The start
Is out OF sight and only the final part
OF me race. less LLau a quarter OF
mile can be seen Cut from il the
glamour Of Its great value and there IS
not the slightest thing attached 70 II 10
attract The attention Of the raCeEosr-
Long before the race IS T-n the question
OF the seasons best colt has been de-
clded- and lis an old story as 10 which
Is the champion CT the year
But with long races IL IS different
There are horses that can run well ND
to a mile and a quarter. or even 20 a
mile and a half but are not champions
beyond that distance
Case OF Ballot.
Take Ballot, FOR instance. he was
great horse I'D TO q mile and a half, but
SaIvidere was able 20 beat him when the
journey was stretched out But until
the question Of supremacy was decided
the subject OF the contest awakened in
terest in the }ort- Men talked about
It for days before and after the race
And that is lust the thing needed to-
day 10 awaken interest in racing. Give
the raCeCOers novelties Make them
talk about 81, as Mr. Ryan desires.
leading from q mile and a quarter In the
spring until the apex IS reached in the
fOuT-mile struggle OF the fall meeting
Make the races hold out q monetary
value OF such magnitude that Il viii be
worth the while for owners TO reserve
one or two horses in each stable 10 take
part in them
II the racing associations viii follow
along those lines they viii ind that Mr
Ryan's suggestion 10 revive long dis
lance racing a profitable invy-.rcent.