Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Fifty years ago an American horse
lish turf courses.
SuCCeSS VI 1dEoIo Parole was one
in England. OF several horses !;
shipped to England for the Spring rae
ing meeting by Mr. p. Lorillard, but
owing to series of misfortunes en- route
the stables were not received with much
enthusiasm by the patrons of the
sport OF kings" When, on April Is,
Parole won the handicap at New Mar
ket the English pocketbook went fiat.
Again on April az Parole was an easy
winner in the City and Suburban Handi-
| cap at EPSON. Other laurels were
added to Paroles record during the
season, but these two victories had set
the racing world agog. Newspapers
In this country printed detailed &C.
| counts of Paroles pedigree and record
on the American turf, while English
from Parole to other favorites and back
again before conceding the greatness of
the horse from across the sea. The
following extracts from British papers
appear in The Star of April %, 1879:
The London Field says: Our Amer
lean cousins have on the race course
fairly taken the backbone out of us.
But q few days ago, and almost to a
man, We were prepared to bet our bot
tom dollar on England vs.. America on
the race course, but our bottom dollar
would have gone, and now we fain
acknowledge that we must concede the
priority to the horse from over the sea,
for 1t is more probable that at the pres
ent moment Parole is the best horse
on the English turf, except, perhaps,
his stable companion and fellow coun-
tryman, the Duke of Magenta.
"'It is an extraordinary fact In con-
nection with racing that the public
will not believe their own eyesight. but
prefer to depend upon the words of
the man In the street. A few years
ago we saw Peut Etre win q race at
New Market that appeared to reduce
the Cambridgeshire to certainty. A
ma iority of the public would not hear
Of his winning; consequently he started
at good price. We have now a case
in point in the victories Of the Amer
lean horse Parole. On his New Mar
ket running 1t was clear that he repre-
sented almost an even-money chance
for the City and Suburban, but still
on the morning of the race to could
be obtained. So much for public trials
Now, had Peut Etre and Parole, re-
spectively, defeated Lilly Agnes and
1SOnOIIly III private spin, Ine puDllC
racing world would have rushed upon
them at any price; therefore we say
they will not believe their own eye
sight, but prefer to accept as gospel
that which they only hear Parole
secured almost as easy victory at
EPSON as at New Market. The City
and Suburban running so terribly
frightened the owners Of horses en-
gagged for the Metropolitan that only
Mr.. Bapp could be induced to oppose
the American wonder. His representa-
tive, Castlereagh, might as well have
remained at Middleham for any chance
he possessed of clipping the wings of
the American flyer, respecting whom we
must regret that after his first season
on the American turf it was found
necessary to make him a gelding in
consequence of i'll temper 1t has, how
ever, proved satisfactory, as, instead of
being almost impossible to manage, a
child could now ride him. He has
charming manners and actions that
would cause him to be admired as a
lady's hack. When standing still or
walking Parole is anything but beau
ty. but set him going and we have the
perfection of motion. His hind legs
go under him in such a way that the
leverage Is tremendous; and Parole,
contrary to his looks, could doubtless
carry very heavy weight. There is O
very prevalent impression that the New
Market Handicap was stolen race. To
this, however, we cannot agree; and