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SAM LAZARUS ON TEXAS BREEDING. Lone Star Turfmans Views Touching Thoroughbred Industry in His State. Turfman Sam Lazarus, of Texas and St. Louis, was in New York a few days ago and in a talk with A. B. Smith, of Morning Telegraph, gave some interesting details of bis experience in breeding thoroughbreds and also some statements touching racing in Texas racing that is bound to grow in importance as the years pass and the managers i learn how to induce owners of good horses to patronize their circuit of tracks. Asked about his : breeding ventures, Mr. Lazarus said: "Ive studied breeding a lot," said Mr. Lazarus, "but Im just beginning to think I dont know anything about It at all. A man figures on the different crosses and nicks, pores over breeding Hues and does his best to get the right tiling, but, after all, I tell you its a good deal of a guess. Not that I do not believe in the science, and, of course, a man has simply to keep on at the game; but you try it awhile and find for yourself what a mystery the whole thing is. Some day, maybe, I will get a crackajack, and then I guess It will just be a case of the gods playing another practical joke. "Theres Mr. Kcene. Hes had a great run of success, but he has had many a disappointment, too, and thorough student of hreedlng as he is, he couldnt tell yon why, but hes got the right idea, that Is, just to keep on going. "Of course, my place is not so important In the breeding world, but I tate more interest in It than in anything, and Ive got some good stock down there, including the dam of Crescendo, Janet N.f : Callatine, full sister to Inspector 1!.; Manetta, ! Found and Etta Gilroy. I believe Macy is a good sire, and now Im going to take Right Royal down s there, and surely he ought to be a good one, but : its all a big gamble. , "But Im not discouraged, only I realize the s great uncertainty of the whole proposition and am i more determined than ever to breed a real good i one some time. : "The luck of the game is shown in the efforts of 1 Barney Schreiber of Woodlands Stud in Missouri. He buys Foul Shot with all that good Musket and Artillery blood, aud Foul Shot lacks a dollar and a piarter of being worth thirty cents. Then he takes Sain, who could scarcely win a selling race on the western race tracks, and everything he gets 1 wins, and some of them mighty good ones, too. There is Ormonde with Orsini and Ossary to show. "Some people tell nie that I breed to old marcs too much instead of untried and young ones, but the old ones produce the best sometimes, and it looks like the dam of Crescendo ought to throw a good one. doesnt it? Some horsemen think that Crescendo was the best horse ever raised in the west. Barney Schreiber says be was the best two-year-old he over. saw. Tm just having Right Koyal insured here today and if I didnt do it something would happen to him sure. I lost Major Daingerlield, you know, through his being kicked in a paddock down at the farm. Right Royal will have the best chance I can give him at Abilene, and I believe he will make good." Mr. Lazarus is enthusiastic over the Texas racing circuit now under the supervision of the Texas Thoroughbred Association. "All things considered," he said, "we have a mighty fine little circuit, with fifteen days at Dallas, eight at Fort Worth, eight at Houston and fifteen at San Antonio. Then there is Beaumont and Austin, and they ought to lie in the circuit, too. The state could support ten tracks with short meetings very well. Racing begins the last of September and it is in the very best hands. There are no dividends declared. Everything goes into running expenses and improvements. "Texas is the only state in the union which has a law against any form of gambling or betting except on horse -races on a regular and recognized race track. They simply will not have gambling anywhere else. We have a pretty fair class of horses, though many of them are Texas-bred. Great crowds turn out to see the sport, and it is run in connection with the annual fairs at Dallas and the other cities. "Some of the breeders in Texas are J. W. Fuller at Wills Point, near Dallas; Fred Wood at Abilene; S. B. Burnett at Fort Worth; R. J. Kleburg at Kingsville, and Henry Bateheler at Ennis. Batch-eler brought Wildmore east and campaigned Jack Hardy and LArgentinc." Mr. Lazarus said modestly that he only had a nice little ranch at Abilene of ."-J, 000 acres, which was small for an old-time Texan. Then he mentioned the famous King ranch of 1,400,000 acres as an example of a good sized place. The Texas racing circuit lias attracted considerable attention from horsemen outside of that state, and there is every reason to bolieve that there will be continued improvement owning to the great success it has had since the racing law was passed. But the Texans should make their stake events for horses other than those Texas-bred, as is the case at present. It is all right to encourage breeding in their own state, but the meetings can not attract good horses from the outside under the present conditions. They have the best law in the world for the protection of racing, and there is every indication that they will keep it, as the entire Texas public is devoted to the sport and wants to see it extended aud made of general importance throughout the country. Then the Texans should loosen up and go in strong for the breeding of thoroughbreds and getting higher class horses. Thoroughbreds are not raised like cattle, and they deserve more attention aud cost more money to perfect if the idea is to make the Lone Star State a genuine thoroughbred racing aud breeding ground. Mr. Lazarus came east to Washington to see Right Royal run in the Washington Cup aud the Maximum, and he thinks a great deal of the black horse by Rapallo Mrs. Delaney. In fact he hates to see his horses beaten, as he told me at Washington. After the Cup he did not care to start Right Royal in the Maximum unless the track became soft and suitable to the horses bad legs, but his trainer induced him to start him, believ- ing that he would run an improved race over the Cup showing. Mr. Lazarus bought Right Royal during the Buffalo meeting and has won nint races with him.
