Year: 1867

MER MEETING kT JER0MB PARK.


From the New York Wofls.l G1t


The summer meeting OF the American
| jockey club at Jerome park will begiI
to-day Over seventy-fve horses, rep.
resenting the stables Of between twenty
and thirty gentlemen, are expected tG
engage Ia the contests Of this afternoon,
Thursday and Saturday. The jockey
club handicap, free for all ages, to be run
on the third day, will doubtless be an
unusually exciting event.


TIE meetings at Jerome park have
now come to be regarded with greater
interest, by all respectable classes Of me-
tropolitan and neighboring society, than
any other amusement ever veucbsafed to
US, either in or out Of doors. The scenery
about the course is so delightful, the
course itself is such q fine one, the
grand stand packed full Is such 3 be-
wildering, gorgeous spectacle, the
racing ceremonies and the running
are so we'll conducted and well done, and
at last the visitors Of either sex have
such eonseling immunity from annoy
ancs or insult, that it is not wonderful
that the ticket takers st the new park are
forced to undergo an exasperating perspi-
ration during three or four hours on
racing days for the sake Of the real pleas
ure and recreation of from twelve to
twenty thousand eager citizens. The
good old-fashioned farmer uncles and
aunts Of many Of the lockers on at these
races ought to be invited, out of simple
philanthropy, to come to town and wit
ness them. For, although some natural
prejudices against gewgaWs and a super
fuous splendor Of raiment might be in-
creased rather than diminished by
the display among the spectators
around them, the matrons who
have been accustomed to associate
a horse-race " with all kinds Of
staring and satanic iniquities, and the
owLiers of venerable teams for which a
generous supply Of oats, hay, and Pasta-
rage was considered TO be everything
necessary and kind in the matter Of q
mans duty to his beast, might both be
astonished and instructed by the orderly
character of the assemblage, and by the
scrupulous care with which the horses
that participate in the races are treated
by their trainers.


The time is quite gone, indeed, when
the Improvement Of the spirit and speed
and beauty of horses-which can only
be thoroughly and widely accomplished
by exciting popular interest in it through
the medium of the race eourse-was
looked upon with disfavOr by intelligent
gentlemen in America. The race course
itself, with its former associations Of
prorniscuous gambling, swindiing, pro-
family, and obscenity, retarded, for
a long time in the esst, its own
legitimate mission. Bub since it has
begun to be conducted, not only at
jerome park, but in other localities
neal. the Atlantic coast, under just and
carefully enforced regulations, there is
excellent reason to presume that not the
racing parks alone, but horsefiesh gene
rally, and the vast number of people of
many classes in the country who are in
terested in horsefesh, will be ultimately
benefited by the racing revival More
first-class animals will be imported,
whose blood will be diffused and whose
progeny will be scattered among the sta
bles throughout the land In time ne
cessity, not less than pride, will induce
farmers, physicians, livery men, and
private gentlemen to procure horses that
will de as much work, or travel as fast.
or lock as wen as those owned by their
neiehbors. And the same motives viii
secure a better, more judieious treatment
Of the animal.


Tending TO such q result, the course
pursued by the wealthy and influential
gentlemen who have formed the Ameri-
can jockey club is useful and beneieent.
Whatever money they may spend in such
a behalf is really invested for the benefit
of the country at large; and it is all the
more pleasant that they are initiating
and drawing national attention to the
good work by series Of racing specta-
cles quite unexampled in the history Of
the American turf