view raw text
in in ig h- at g. ..i or ly AMERICAN VIEWS OF EUROPEAN RACING. Before sailing f. .r America recently, from London, J. S. McDonald, the New V.ik horseman, who spent two months In Europe, had the following p. say about racing here and In Europe: "Mam English breeders especlallj regret the de purturv. ta Trance of the Queen of Fortune, ... i ; , , tin- hr.xiilniares Mr. anilerbilt bought, which is ■.in. .led to be the bargain of the sale. "When In France I visited a Dumber of breeding establishments ami I lad that tbe French have mad wonderful progress with their buildings, which are up to date. They really possess the cream of thoi-uughbreda in breeding ami performances, both American and English blood lines being well represented. At least 15 p. r cent. .•! lie racing in Frame during recent years has been by American owners with fu.l.-. that percentage of American jockeys and trainers. "As far as 1 can see tlie prospecta of racing ii. England and on the Continent are extremely brilliant. In other words, there is a boom in the sport. I believe that racing will be resumed In the lnited States under different auspices than in the past, and it will he free from the nickel-pinching and strap-hanging policy that has marred the sport foe a nuni ber of y.-ars. ••Within two years the American turf will he on a better and sounder basis than ever it was before. end plenty of the best class of people will take up the apart again. 1 regard tin- present deadlock as .in- of the very best things that could have happened to the turf in that country, for not only will it help to eliminate a lot of undesirables ami hangers on. but il has been the means of getting rid of a lot of moderate and inferior stock which did no credit to the country and never would have done. I think that with fresh blood well selected in .his country and in France the horse breeding Industry in America will during the next few years start booming as it never dyl before, and that within the next decade the bloodstock of America will reach a higher standard than it ever has done. There is n.. better country in the world for raising thoroughbreds. They only want the proper and UUCOntam-inated Seed to atari with, and they will then grey horses !•• rival any other nation. "Prepare your English and Irish breeders for a big demand for the highest class bloodstock presently, for the horse bre. ding industry is simplv in dispensable to America. What the country wants it will have, for the dollars are tin re, and plenty of them, so that y..u can take it from me that von are just iu front of the biggest boom in bloodstock that this country has experienced for some time. After that you will have very little trouble about admitting American-bred horses into your Stud Bo k. for they will all lie then bred from your verv beat strains, ao that, instead of doing any harm, the anti-sports of America will have unconsciously done ■_...,| l,y being the means of clearing out a lot of rubbish and having them replaced by horses of the highest class. This will place the American thor oughbred, as well as the American turf, on a firmer basis than it ever has been before. ••While the United Slates has uarted with manv of tin- choic. st thoroughbreds in The world, it has i also been relieved of a tremendous number of inferior animals, which were a detriment to the breeding inferesta ..f tin- country, it is a certainty that when racing is resumed in the Halted States American turfmen will endeavor to Import high class horses aud mares to till up tin- gap made by tlie exportation of American horses to all parts of the • globe. ••American thoroughbreds iu proportion to the numlH-r racing in the different countries to which 1 had been sent, have won a fair percentage of races. and the result may be the establishment of a market f..r thoroughbreds in the United states. s.. thai foreigners will go over and make purchases, as they do at the present time for trotters. ••There is not much danger of a general invasion i of England by American trainers and jockeys. Rac- ing is a sport In England, not a commercial enterprise. The cost of racing is extremely high, the pens.- large, and the country is not cursed with i forty-day meetings on different com-.,-. "Under parliamentary law and the rules of the Jockey Club there can 1m- only four nays racing over r any given curse iu a calendar month. The result r is that meetings arc held at widely separated points, . and tl xpense tor the transportation of horses is i SO great that only wealthy 111.11 can afford extensive racing establishments. I"., be sure, there are a num ber of smaller racing establishments, in which the horses owned by professional race men are trained.