The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-09
Horses Not C]assed, and
Favorites Rornp in
Easy w inners.
SOME FOLK FEAR
CROOKEDNESS
Conditions Will Be Improved
Next Year-Half-Mile Track a
Probability-Will Bring Bet
1 ter Horses and More of
The ms. S. Toman
Gives Views.

Time was when Virginia was known
az the home Of the thoroughbred. To
be a virginian implied more than
academic knowledge of the horse.
Then 1ethargy ruled in the camp.
Various happenings. war and the
conseuuent linpoverishment Of many
who had previously been able to in
dulge their fancy. made necessary a
curtailment of pleasures. and horse
racing was flrst to- be tabooed. Fox
hunting, which furnished not only
, sport, but incentive to breed horses OF
cal.bre. continued for while, 1t lis
true, but followers of Reynard were
reduced to u chosen few on whom the
burden had not fallen so heavily.
The Inauguration OF the Virginia
State Fair. with it's fall racing meet.
caused renewed interest in horse rae
ing. Entries OF horses OF known abil-
ity aroused an enthusiasm which had
lain dormant for many months. Har-
ness horses with records on the fastest
tracks in the country were brought to
Richmond and lovers of the sport broke
their shell OF disinterestedness. visited
| the race course. and shouted for their
| favorites.
While the fair is but five years old,
such horses as Major Delmar, Creseus.
and others of national reputation have
! circled the mile track in record time.
Then the quality of the horses began
| to deteriorate. For some reason own
ers failed to bring their best stock Ia
| the Richmond meet. Owners of
/ thoroughbreds brought only part of
| their string, and the worst part at
| that. The best of the runners brought
| were not classed, and the result has
| been that Ssw races of real interest
| to spectators have been witnessed
Winners Easy to Pick.
! In nine cases out of ten 1t did not
require the knowledge of an expert
to pick the winner of any race. This
for the very good reason that in each
race there was always one horse
which so far outclassed his field tina t
4 could keep him from winning. Es-
pecially was this true of the present
meet. Aside from the steeplechases.
which in their very nature may pro-
4 duce at any time something specta-
j cular, there has hardly been a single
| race that was close. Some ofsthe
finishes have been impressive. but this
4 was due to the dexterity of the riders
or drivers, and the judges on frequent
4 occasions gave warning that II the
i close finishes continued there would
| be penalties inflicted
It is stating nothing new to say
! that the racing at the present meet
or the Virginia Fair Association has
been tame. None Of the best horses
l was brought here and no attempt to
1 break records was made. In fact.
lit was the desire Of the owners to
keep from making faster time than
was actually necessary.
In business for Money.
H. Horsemen are not In business as a
usual thing for glory, 1t is money
,imaking affair with them, just as any
tiother line is with other people. When
/ they bring a string of horses to a
! race track the question with them is
| how much money they can make.
| With the mile track at the fair
| grounds there is continual danger,
| from the norseman's standpoint OF
making a mark with his horse which
I will prove handicap at other meets
! where the racing is over lf-mlle
/ track. Then the fair here is held
/ late In the season, after the horses
| have come from an entire seasons
/ campaigning They are tired. and no
owner is going to take chances Of
injuring his money winners by speed
/ ing at the and of the season. Still an
| ether deterrent is the fact that the
1 purse offered here-s4oo-is half
| mile purse. No pools are made and
supposedly there is no betting.
All of these things have their eff
his fast ones to compete for money In
idications point to a half-mile track
| for next year. Much pressure Is being
drought to bear on the management
of the fair with this end in view. W.,
J. Carter, one of the judges. Is firmly
| OF the opinion that If the track is
halved,. some frst..class horses can be
| Induced to come to Richmond. II is
| also thought advisable to postpone the
| fair a week Moving back the date
will cut out competition with fairs in
/ ether sections Of the country, which
have been In existence for years.
Fnvoritcs Unusually Win.
"A study of the racing events dur
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