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WESTERN TRACK BUILDERS EXCEL. II. M. Mason, the veteran owner and trainer, who is now handling W. OBrien Macdonoiighs string at Emeryville, has long been recognized as .in authority on breeding and all matters pertaining to racing. A few days ago, in a slight respite following his mornings work at Oakland, the veteran 6xplained how the west was teaching the east to build race tracks: "In the opinion of a great many horsemen, the tracks have improved as much or more than the horses in the last thirty-five years," he said. "If the weights carried had not gone tip in the scale several pounds in the same period there would be no room for an argument. But even witli the present adjustment of weights, we must look back to the time when in the early seventies a horse like Longfellow stepped the first mile in 1:40 and the one and one-quarter in 2:07, in a race of over two miles, and this over the regulation mile course at Saratoga, which was deep and sandy. "The mile record over the track at the time was about 1:43. "Such a performance would be creditable today over the Sheepshead Bay course, which is at least three seconds fast over the Saratoga track of 1S71. "Only a few years ago when a horse worked a mile at Sheepshead Bay in 1:42 or Gravesend in 1:43 he was considered a betting proposition. But now conditions have changed, and a horse that could do no better than the above would not be backed to win a race among the cheapest platers. "Now, why the change, and where did it come from ? "Undoubtedly from the west. "A few years ago the superintendents of tracks east had to have a cushion of from two to three and one-half inches, or the trainers would all be grumbling, and state that the track was too hard and their horses were in danger of breaking down. Whereas, for a fact, they were breaking them down in the heavy going. The western folks have in the last few years raced more in the cast and have finally convinced the eastern horsemen that the deep track is harder on the tendons and will break a horse down much quicker than a light, fast track, with an inch or less cushion. "I honestly believe that Longfello.w would have run one and one-quarter miles over Belmont Park as it is today in two minutes, or very close to it. "However, this is only supposition and personal opinion, taken from observation of Uie great improvement in race tracks in the time above mentioned. "Time, however, must not be taken too seriously; it is very treacherous and apt to deceive ns. On this side of the Atlantic we have acquired the very bad habit of running after time records. For instance, everybody was talking about Broomstick winning the Brighton Handicap in 2:02 and a fraction, with about 104 pounds on him. but they lose sight altogether of the grand horse lie beat a head, giving him a lot of weight, who actually ran one-eighth of a mile after he broke down. I refer to Irish Lad. "The horse that finishes third or fourth under adverse conditions is the real hero in many cases, but the guides and the public howl and cheer for the one whose number goes up, with nothing on his back."
