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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. A typical English race before the introduction of the American jockeys was run absolutely without regard to pace. In a long distance contest the first stages of the race were generally extremely slow, superior jockeyship being manifested more in the placing of the horse than in anything else. At a certain distance from the finish there was a wild scramble and a driving finish, the jockeys sitting bolt upright even when driving, thus taking away much of the spectacular features of an American finish. Since the advent of the Americans, however, ever, things have changed greatly. The first arrivals from this country fairly walked away from their opponents by the simple process of racing from end to end of the contest. If an English jockey managed to keep his mount within striking distance and made his effort near the wire, he was generally outridden through the superiority of the American style. It took some time for the Britons to realize wherein they were outclassed, but the habit of running the race from end to end soon took hold of them and English races in consequence are run with more idea of pace than formerly. Often they overdid the thing at the start, however, and by exhausting their horses in the early stages of the race, they permitted the Americans who had been rating along with a perfect knowledge of tie speed at which they had been traveling to come from behind and win. It was this habit of winning, either from in front or from behind, which nearly drove the English jockeys to distraction when the Americans sprung it on them.
