Where Racing Prospers: Famous American Trainers Describe Conditions in European Countries, Daily Racing Form, 1912-01-09

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V Fi A, A. ai gl A I T I. ei In hi his in in tl f In ci a: a N in m w -■ I" ti ti to tl ai di "It " al ai a b in iii til in a T ti too m the t: W a; as H ii SI s B S m « our al at gi m not a a G g. V vi It II w ol m tl A rt w t D oi .V h tl e v ei 0 Y n o i | S h n iu. WHERE RACING PROSPERS FAMOUS AMERICAN TRAINERS DESCRIBE CONDITIONS IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. J. Joyner. J. H. McCormick and Thomas Welch Return from Abroad to Spend Brief Vacations and Speak Glowingly of Their Experiences. N.w York, .lannary S. — There were farthered around a table at the Hoffman House recently a group of the most renowned trainers ever seen in America. Ir Included James Howe. TOm llealev. Tom Welch, J. II. McCormick and A. J. Joyuec. The last-named had just come from England on the Lutaltanla, and the others had hastened to welcome him back to America. McCormick has been back from Germany for several weeks, flushed with most successful year on the German turf. Welch had sp.nt the summer in France, imbibing all n. ,:,-,i Information for his forthcoming season when he will train a gOOd-sised stable for Joseph B. Wiibner. T.in llealev never fails to "foregather" with his former rivals in developing stake horses, eager io hear all that In- can altout the high cla-s men who carry on racing in Kurope. Howe. BS general man a-i r for Harry Payne Whitneys horses here, acts a- commissar] general to Jack Joy sets stable a: Newmarket, and will keep it supplied with the besl material left in this country until such time a- thai material exhausts itself. Then what? How Mac win Mr. Whitney continue to breed horses here, send them serosa the water at great risk and ex pease, and try lo win the Baglish classics with ma ferial that must be kept at the very highest notch give it a chance- Willi as racing in this stale. there will be no object in importing the best horses and mares, with the idea of .sending their best produce abroad. Joyner paid unstinted praise to the English turf. is popular, as you can realize when you rend about the hundreds of thousands whs go to the Dei by and St. Leger. At the same time it can only be actually indulged in by wealthy men. as owners, because the expenses are far in excess of anything America. I have to semi horses to as m:iii is fifty different places in the caurse of a season. In many of the races the entrance fees make up I he frizes run for. and there is soshetimea an execs-.. The -hoit meetings help to do away with the crv of i.iu, h racing al any one point. England in and will continue to be the home of the best horses in world. Ton cant buy the Derby or St. Leg. r winners unless under exceptional circumstances, such the death of the owner and the settlement of his estate. Even then you are likely to he outbid, a* Instance the case of Flying Fox, for which nearly 80,000 was pail. Such a horse as Lord Derbys Swynford is not for sale at an.v price. Neither i- Bayardo or Lemherg. Such mares as Bceptre and Signorinetta an- kept in th.- country bj patriotic men like .Mr. Weatherby and Lord Boseberjr. As for own chances, why you ought to see the horses Newmarket sad ewewaere. They are simply grand lo look at — they keep their Desk well, and are raced often— that is. the high-class ones. 1 have good opinion of Sweeper II. for the Two Thousand Guineas, and my frit ml Mr. Hulton certainly has a good colt in Lomond, which may win the Derby. We have forty fin r horses iu training, niostlv In.. year olds. There are about 5.0 M in Croat Britain. wounl look to be long odds against our doing w li. wouldnt Itl As for half mile racing by two year olds, there is a big difference of opinion as lo Us merits. Whether ;i be halfsa mile or live furlongs. the pace is sure to be fast all the way since the American Jockeys set the fashion of making the running from the start, and it seems to some that it would hurt a young horse less to run half a mile at top -j d than tive furlongs at top speed." .1. Ii. McCormick had the pleasure of training Dolomit, an unbeaten two-year-old, by Aid Patrick. one of the German Governments studs" stallions. McCormick now has fifty six horses in training for his several employers, of whom Baron Oppenhelm is ihe meed notable. To listen to this shrewd Amor! cans stories of notable turfmen for the past twelve years is to participate in an entertainment nor equalled af a professional event. He is known all over the racing world tor his humor. Episodes with Messrs. Keene, Belmont, Hell. Thomas and others well known to turfmen figure in his anecdotes. He owns horses at Bheepshesd Hay and Brighton Beach. stock in race courses which no longer pay dividends, and holds notes which will never be redeemed. But. Sin, eon Ford, Patrick Francis Murphy, or the late "Joe" Ryan could give no weight to McCormick iu his amusing comments concerning his bad Invest nt-. Speaking about Ilerniis. hurt reported sold to Ed-in. • i.d Blanc, McCormick. who trained the "little red burs." from August of l!n»l to the following spring, said: "The published price 0,000 was th,- exact-price paid by Mr. I". H. Thomas. Mr. Hell had no in, re idea of selling him than I had of becoming King of England. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas admired the horse greatly, and when Mr. Bell was asked if In- would s.-ll him. he. thinking to put a prohibitive price upon tic horse, -aid 0,000. When Mr. Thomas said he would take him Mr. Hell nearly had a til." "Ton need never expect permanent racing restored here in America unless the government lake-t i hind in it." continued McCormick; "in Germany the public is jn favor if tl.- sport, but they pny heavily for the privilege of betting, for 16 per cent. i- deducted out of every kronen that is not into the totalizator. That i- a- it should be. If the people must b.t. h-t them pay for it. Hut the uwuey thus taken comes hack t-. tie- people in another way. It i- put into the purchase of the best stsllioao ami niar.s that can l,.- secured in England. Pram Russia, and the far-famed army remounts of Get maaj come from tie-.- thoroughbreds. Ai, th.- gre.il statesmen ot America so blind that they cannot see the end of their war OS noing. I..| 1 hem look • I what is going on in every European country. Even the once despised Italy ban a national stud for the foundation of it- cavalry. I. .ok al Austria with one sin.] farm sloae of 50.000 acres, when- 6.000 men are employed. Look at Germaay with 3.500 stall-i ins, aud Prance with an equal number. Austria has numerous breeding farms fvr eavalrj rem ants. Oh. what a lot we Americans have .mm to learn from the old countries." "GrnnewskL" continued McCormick, "is forty years ahead of it- time. It i- the most perfectly appointed course I cer saw. When I was out in San Francisco. I thought the up-to-date electric devices worth talking about. Jnst imagine that the bath rooms lor the jockejn at the Gmnewald course i- ii. t excelled in ii- details by the Waldorf-Astoria. S ,. too. with the clubhouse and grand-i and. There i- DO training at the track. All that i- done *i II pi • gartcn. in another part of the outskirts of Berlin. We send our her-. - in a speclsl train each day from Hoppegarten to Grunewald, where there is a splendid receiving stab!.-. Then the -addling paddock. Al Hoppegarten tin re are various kinds of i rses- lull, -and. tan. gallops, etc |., gallop a bornr on anyone of these costs thirty krouaaa, or -i dollar-. I frequently gallop twentj i n a day, - you see lew Ii c.sis to train a i.ig stable. But Continued on second page. WHERE RACING PROSPERS. Continued from first page. ererrbodj concerned is happy and contented. •Some of our American .ioekeys do not seom to realize that they are amidst different surroundings wlien Uioy reach Germany. That kind do not last 1 • • i J .— - Just think of a well-known American trainer of jumpera coins around the most fashionable stee-plechaae course in Pranci . in a paddock filled with ladlea and t-.i t men, and hi with his old corn cob pipe in the corner of his mouth. He did not last loss;. Imagine another, ■ man training for ■ well-knows American, going around the paddock without hfai coat, and with one of those Oat-brimmed soft Call hats cocked over his left • ye. 11- was asked to wear his coat in future. 1 am not an aristocrat, but 1 know eaoogh to realize thai when in Rome I should do as the Romans do." TQS9 Welch, like both his compatriots, is observant and up-to-date. What lie saw in France made him realise how much en in America have to do before we can expect to g«| racing re-established hen. lb sees that it has the sanction of both government anil populace in France. There it is not carried on as a mercantile transaction lor the enrichment of a few stockholders, that its enormous profits are d roted to the welfare of the I phi who contribute to it. because nearly ell the money earned roes to the gcrerassenl sad is redistributed for the n formation of studs for cavalry purposes. Ineiden- V tally, the people are afforded a popular amusement. I : Who will !«■ the first real statesmsn to stand up In tt Congress snd propose the appointment of a commission to look into the |Uestion of arm] remounts, and -thus pore the way to the re establishment of racing • :i I sane, pi-rmanci: I basis 1 Would an American syndicate bo. called insane who were to do this, for instance: Suppose a small body sf public-spirited men were to pool a sum of money, go to England, buy four of the most Aestr- Bht nates in Open market for 0,000. then take a _ tio ■ to their own country, otter them tor sale, see them sold in open market for about sixty per cent, id what !hi mares bad just been sold for in England. Wiiat woaM be thottghl Of these men in America? Their relatives would surely haul them ■urt to hare their sanity passed upon. Jf t ,, this k exact!] what has just taken plsee in Ger-many, only tb syndicate are patriotic men. aiming to do in their waj something for the welfare of their government by importing mares to be sold to their I own conn try men. .The only restrictions they made were that the mares must not go out of the country without their consent, and must be owned by citizens of their country. Some of our own countrymen are doing something of this nature through donations to the united States government and to the Breeding Bureau of Hew York State: but the example of these few is not being followed up. and the present agitation should not DC allowed to die down. Every man interested in the future welfare of his country should amuse snd si once direct his congressman to take action looking to remedying existing evils. Mr. Belmont is taking the usual necessary steps to semi to France his 6ne, sturdy horse. Flint BoCX, which will Ik sd his stud In Normandy. He told me three weeks ago that the horse is to go. He also told me about 1ho negotiations from English and Irish turfmen for Rock Sand. As long as Rock Sand is kept here, I have some hope for the turf. If In is sent back. I would regard it as a bad sign. Dp to the present Mr. Belmont has nor yielded to the tempting otters from abroad. Charles Kohler is tailing f r England next Wednesday. He is going to see the stewards of the English Jockey Club about licenses for S. C. Hildreth and lackey Shilling. Mr. Kohler, the new owner of the Hildreth horses, i~ • youthful appearing man of forty four years. He looks no more than half that age. Be s an inventor of piano attachments and Is one of New Yorks keenest and most successful business men. Those who knew "Billy" Bissett. who was for years John A. Drakes secretary, are reminded of Bissetl when they see Mr. Kohler. Both weai spectacles and both have the same type of face. Mr. Kohler s work in behalf of the Gittins bills last summer, when he and Janes Butler worked so hard for it. is well known and appreciated here by turfmen. YU will, of COCTSe, recall Galon Brown. I have iusi heard that he is training the stable of horses In France owned by M. stern mid in-law of one of the Rothschilds. Mr. Stern brought before the French Jockey Club the case of jockey Guy Garner, who went to France last year to ride for Mr. Belmont. Be was successful. Mr. Belmont naturally thought be would again have the boys ser vice- In 1912, by virtue of a verbal agreement mad With the boys mother, who lives in Iowa. But M. Sterns offer to the boy himself caused the hid to agree to ride for the French turfman. Mr. Belmont did not think this was proper, hence the case goes IS the Fl BCh stewards. JOSEPH J. BURKE.


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