The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-02

NEW YORK, March 2.-Pictures
IN are beginning to futter in
showing horses in preliminary
gymnastics for the Grand Ma
tional which is to be run this
month. To many people the Grand
National has something to do with
a cash register. TO others it means
something quite different.
The Grand National is at once the mad
dest and mtahtiest test OF racing stamina
known TO- the. turf. ANY horse that finishes
listed as a powerful. courageous animal.
FOR obvious reasons we won't mention in
Ccllcct.
There are a lot Of people who argue that
the National, for all its rich and stirring
BACKGROUND. dating back nearly 100 wears.
lacking both purpose and breeding value.
and at the same time criminallv hazardous.
race ike iRs' it az an " mas IN fneF the Is world nq 0'n T6
Begin, with. II IS twice as long as the aver
age Jumping race. a CIRCUMSTANCE which
portant. It has been said that any horse
mat can lump and last the route can
yin the National, and the records prove
In short. If YOU have a Battling Nelson
norse YOU have a chance. Generally. the
2 small number. That was the starting
held a wear ago, Three years ago there
WIG NANhN@aiA hkdlLtIdr ~ BELMONT. L0E
bows think twelve is a crowded field in
anv kind Of a race.
7 ASK you TO try to picture sixty
L horses-or even forty-getting
away from the post in a group,
running or the fiat for a furlong
or so and then arriving, more or
less en- masse, at a thorn fence four
feet, six inches in heighth, at
which precise moment they go
soaring eerily into the air, either TO
clear the barrier or to fall in a
twisted, squirming heap.
/ mean. even II YOU haven't seen Frank.
what happens? Before the race has scarce
started half Of the horses are out of
ID. some Of them manned for life, quite
possibly n rider or two lie still. nfeless on
The average pay off price for winner
that form does not figure very high. How
many classics. including the Derby. PIN
that much? In fact. it is not uncommon
for 100 to ] shots to win the National.
Tipperary Tim did 1t in 1928 and Gregalach
repeated the following spring.
Many legends have grown up around
The various hazards which defy the fields
At Aintree. Becher's brook. for instance.
IN Steeplechasing this Is synonymous with
disaster. Apart from Wall Street it is
probably the best known risk in the world.
Very few people are able to get over It,.
You NAV be interested in the story. Early
no the history Of the National. a certain
captain Becher came a cropper at this
cavalry was bringing 10 at the rear. The
CAPTAIN. thrown on the far side Of the
or %anr %sS tens e eire yau line "A the mo 11mPfers Of
thought and he dove like a mermaid into
The deepest part Of the brook. while the
nv the voice of Becher. deploring the la
mentable GOODNESS of the water. deprived
ot he e~oncomitant Of BRANDY" Imagine
hrandvl
breeding does not necessarily
ID betoken class. Indeed, breed
ing seems to have very little to do
with the issue. One of the early
winners, a beetle named Matthew,
became a favorite because some
Dame let it be known that she vi
sualized his triumph in a dream.
She had eaten heavily of chicken
a la king the night before.
Many National winners have come from
the slums of housewife. A compact little
horse named A~bd-El-Kader once covered
the course ,s ! in S;f7{a; M 1t p esitablishe cdm a
moner, 1t pleases me to report that ADD
El-Kader's nanny was a shrewsbury coach
mare. who was purchased for twenty
So I say to YOU. If you are interested
in the National. pay no attention to form.
tiplv 1t by five, guess a color. 20 back to
YOUR reading chair and tune in on Bing
~ xOpfd rather hear Kate Smith