New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-23
Class of Present Day
Owners Superior to
Former Years.
PAYS TRIBUTE TO
PIPING ROCK CLUB
Patron of Gross Country Sport
Advocates Contests for Half
Bred Horses Over Obstacles.
tBy Telegraph 10 The Tribune. /

Saratoga Springs, Aug. 22.-Thomas
Hitchcock, who is a member Of the ex-
ecutive committee OF the Saratoga Rae
ing Association and well known
throughout the United States as a
many-sided sportsman, but whose chief
activities of recent years have been in
the 'cross-country branch of the turf,
is one of those who sees a brilliant fu-
ture for racing in this country.
with the meeting at this point en-
tering upon its final week" said Mr..
Hitchcock. 81 am struck forcibly with
the increasing interest which is being
manifested in the sport. not only by
those who regard it as a wholesome
amusement which keeps them outdoors,
but also by the many who come from
the cities, Towns, villages and the ad-
jacent country.
Entirely new conditions confront the
turf at the present time than those un-
der which it operated some years ago.
The sport then attracted number of
our most desirable citizens, but it can
safely be asserted that at no time in
the history of racing have so many
men of wealth and leisure been inter-
ested in racing as at present.
Amateur sport has contributed a
great, deal to this state of affairs, asso-
Citations like Piping Rock having been
instrumental in cultivating spirit of
rivalry, which has brought out in the
fullest sense the sportsmanlike quail
ties which are so necessary for success
in any sport.
Among those who are racing for the
pure sport of it might be mentioned H.
L. Pratt. J. f. Davis, the Greentree
Stables, the Deep Run Stables, North
wood Stables, under which name the
horses of Mortimer Schif, OF Kuhn,
Loeb & Co., are raced; Shoshone
Stables, the nom de turf OF w. r. Coe;
Samuel Willets, George T. Widener, Ed
ward NJ. Weld. John Heard, J. F. Flana-
gan, Thomas Fortune Ryan, Robert l..
partner of j. p. Morgan e. Co.; F. Am
brose Clark and Ivan Fox.
1.-THE majority Of these men were UNI
known to the turf few years ago, and
il is safe 10 assert that their number
will be added to before the beginning
of next season, as there is a growing
fondness for racing in the best sense OF
the word. All of these men are in 1t
for the love of the horse and for the
recreation it brings to them. ! take 1t
as one of the healthiest signs OF the
times, as they are the type of men we
need, if racing is TO be perpetuated and
achieve the importance which 1t de-
serves.
There was a time when the specu-
lative part of racing was obnoxlously
prominent, but that day is happily
past Speculation we shall always
have, as it is a part of our human nat
ure and is something that we may re-
strict but never eliminate. Formerly
it controlled. and sport was secondary,
but this season | notice that everybody
wants 20 see the horses and there was
a larger gallery while Regret and
Thunderer were being saddled on
Wednesday than | can recall in the
time when racing was at its height in
New York.
"Those from the country districts
who realize the Importance of breeding
good horses were amazed at the size
and muscular development of this pair.
1t was an object lesson to them that
horses of this type could be bred in the
adjacent State of New Jersey. II dem
onstrated the benefits Of care and feed
ing in a manner that was most con-
vincing.
81 was impressed with what Thomas
Welsh said recently about horse breed
ing in France" continued Mr.. Hitch
cock, land also with his suggestion