The sun., 1918-08-18
COM. ROSS FAVORS
DISTANCE CONTESTS
Canadian Sportsman Wants
Present Striving for Sprint
ing Sensations Checked.

SARATOGA. y. Y. Aug. 17-Commander
J. X. L. Ross oe Canada. who owns
Cudgel, Billy Kelly and other = good
horses, is enjoyed a week end at this
resort and he is in love with Saratoga
and its environment
THAT was a long step in the right d.
rection the stewards Of the Jockey Club
took at their recent meeting" was his
comment few days since. There has
long been a fear that the American
thoroughbred was retrograding because
of the prevalence of sprint races on your
programmes. ana this new order Of things
calling for a race at a mile and quar-
ter or over every other day is just the
sort Of tonic the turf needed. How could
we expect our horses TO stay under
former conditions? We have been per-
petuating a breed OF sprinters. Like
produces like. A horse shouldn't be ex-
pected to transmit a quality he doesn't
possess
THE races over a distance OF ground
are going to demonstrate that many
of our horses at present unsupported
OF possessing bottom have an abundance
of 1t. 1t will bring about material
changes in our system of training horses.
The matter of getting an animal ready
to run far as well as fast calls for
more skill than tie preparation of
sprint, and the change should be well
coined by those men VINO learned their
profession at time when distance
races were a feature of every meet
ing.
Public FavOrs Distance.
~ have heard 1t said" continued me
Comma nder. that the distance races
would not fill. but while that condition
might exist for a period, | believe that
tie innovation will become popular In
short time. The public would be in
favor of it certainly. as the best horse
should win in majority OF instances.
and aside from any other considera-
ton 1t should be OF untold value to our
horse product, and after all that is the
purpose for which we are racing and
breeding thoroughbreds.
"If races at a mile and a quarter or
over carry moe added money than
other over night events. Il ere would
be an incentive for owners and train
ers to point their charges for such
tests and il Is my belief that horses
would train longer, as the strain OF
barrier goes up, while in the longer
races only a portion OF the journey is
covered at top speed. I would like to
see a meeting of tine character of Sar-
atoga give n series OF distance events
beginning at mile and quarter on
the opening day and increasing in dis
Itance up to two miles and a quarter.
which is recognized as the cup route
These could be spread over the entire
month OF August. and their popularity
am certain would be SO thoroughly
established that trial along similar
lines would be held elsewhere.
Encourage the Breeders.
with your Government undertaking
the production OF its own remounts and
the Jockey Clubs breeding bureau en-
larging its scope the movement for
longer races should have the whole
hearted support of every man who loves
good horse and wants to see plenty
of them available for cavalry and artil-
lery as well as for the usages OF peace"
II believe that horse breeding in the
United States would be greatly stimu-
lated II percentage of every stake
went TO the breeder of the winner and
IL the breeders of the second and
third horses also received n bonus.
however. small the industry would
thrive amazingly, in me opinion. We
have several stake features in Canada
where the breeder is compensated and
1t has been helpful. am told that your
F'uturity, which has always been a
popular event, has this provision. You
can't encourage the breeder too much
The disposition to bar geldings from
the classics is another movement that
should make for progress in blood horse
production. would not bar the gelding
from handicaps or overnight events. but
that is where he belongs and not in the
classics.N
\ sportsmanlike sentiment. this COM
ing from a man who within a few DAYS
had paid $40, 900 for a gelding