The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-02-10
MEXICANS FAIL TO
GET ENTHUSED over
H0SS RACING SPORT
BY FRANK G. aIENKE

.
A couple of American bozos intro
duced boss racing in Mexico City this
winter-and just now they aren't
cheering for themselves.
The venture, 5000 feet above sea
level, on the mountains of the turbul-
ent Republic, isn't panning much gold
yet
But it will-yes, it will hopefully
assert Gadsen Bryan, Jr., and James
F. O'Hara of Baltimore and the Bowie
Race track, who are back of it. Mex
| leans will begin to feel the lure of the
horse game shortly and then our ex-
pertinent will become big success.
7, O'Hara and Bryan had it all figured
out last summer that Mexico City,
with a population of 100000 certain
/ ly would be able to support racing.
But they reckoned without the know
ledge that about 80 percent of the
| 100000 folks can't afford racing and
that 80 percent of the remaining 10
percent wouldn't be interested.
Just the same, they went ahead
with their plans and established a
course just beyond the heart of the
city. The location was all that could
| be desired. The class of horses, i'm
ported from the United States, are
merely selling platers and NUTS
but they are race horses just the
| same.
Three Things Wrong.
When the plant was thrown open to
the public and the noble animals were
put to work chasing the tails of their
brothers and sisters, O'Hara and Bry-
an expected that the stands would be
Jammed But they weren't. Very
quickly the Americans discovered
three vital reasons to-wit:
"a The charge of from 81 to $3.50
for admission was too high.
/ ca The races were being started
too early.
I'D Mexicans couldn't see so mild a
form of sport as horse racing.
Immediately the prices were cut and
now range from so cents to $3.50. The
races start at 2:45 now instead of at
l p. m. That gives the Mexicans a
little time for siesta before the horse
duels start. But it doesn't give 'em
enough time at that
Mexicans, like all folks in extremely
, tropical chimes, figure it's not good for
the health to be moseying around dur
ing the heat of the day They have,
through long years, cultivated the trick
of snoozing from around noon until
well into the afternoon. And even the
, bally hooing about race horses cannot
shake the masses from the belief that
it's terribly hard on the constitution
, to lose the afternoon nap.
Failed to Advertise
Another fault has been failure to
! advertise-in the way that catches the
Mexlcan's eye and attracts his interest
Bryan and O'Hara advertised in the
newspapers, in American fashion. They
discovered later that although that's
the proper scheme in the U. S. A. il
doesn't work in Mexico City. There
the folks like their advertising tC
scream forth at them from the bill
boards, in huge letters and in glaring
colors. Otherwise, they aren't inter
ested.
One of the discoveries made quite
early by the track owners is that al
though the soil in Mexico City is grea
stuff for bad legged horses, the ozone
is much to the otherwise.
Without full knowledge of the atmos
. pheric conditions, O'Hara and Bryan
,, in their original plans, determined
upon adding mile and mile over race.
with the sprints. But very quickly the.
learned that the farthest American
Il bred horses can run is seven furlong.
and they have to amble along tn,
last quarter of a mile.
The Mexican air is against prolonged
exertion by man or beast and nont
} OF the horses sent TO Mexico City, evel
: those who are distance thoroughbreds
q have been able to travel more thai
Il three-quarters of mile at fast CLIP
I However, it's expected that as sool
4 as the American horses become stuff
> GENTLY acclimated they'll be able t.
dash mile, at least
"Mexicans are a bit slow in enthus
; ing over horse racing-but they'll com
j to it soon,' insists Bryan. "Whel
y they do, they'll be as fond of tn
q sport as are Americans
y Copyright 1921 by King Features
q Syndicate, IDc)
"