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BIG SHRINKAGE IN RACERS HANKS OF RACING THOROUGHBREDS IN AMER- . ICA REDUCED TO 3,553 LAST YEAR. Great falling Off As Compared with 1905, When 6.232 Were Raced — Exportation of Breeding Stock to Blame. In racing in the Inited Stales :inU Canada in the jiiir l!»i»o I he ntunber of borses started was »;.2.;~. i..i-l year the iimiibtM- engaged iu racing was 3.333-One does not have to search far to rind the main MIM of this shrinkage. The last volume of the •Mml Hook issued records the expect ef kiili aa thoroughbred broodmares and fillies to other eoun tri.-s in the years 1007. 1008, 1009 and 1JlO a.; follows: Argentina 144 Jamaica ■• Belgium 15 Mexico 42 England 04 Fern 2 Prance 185 Trinidad 1 Uermanj 34 Ireland 3 Total 5-4 if theee, ten were returned to this country, leav ■ ii a net loss of oil. lint lliis is only a part. Other shipments abroad thaa those recorded in the sunt Book occurred in ItlO, 1011 and 1012. In all. ii i- quite probable tully I.imi mares and fillies have been lost to the breeding establishments of America hi this manner during the last five years, the loss being i ractical! permanent. Had these mares alone been kept ill this country and engaged in reproducing their kind It would have meant the birth of at leael 4. HK fouls iu the coarse of the five years, of which from 2,500 to .1.000 would have made their appearance in racing and kept the number of those so engaged up to something approximating the average ol the years arhea the sport was la its most prosper* ens stale It is to the loss of our broodmares more titan to any other one thing that the number of heroes actively la racing has fallen away so greatly Miice that banner year of 1005. Other things contributed, but nothing to so great an extent. Those breeders who have kepi their ■area and struggled i sa best ilin could will have their compensation w In u racing over the Now York tracks is restored. There will then be stub a scrambling for horses that can run as has not taken place in years past, and prices will sour, as is always the ease when demand is urgent and supply limited. The Importance of this loss In our thoroughbred re-aourcea can be better perceived when it is realized Unit in all the world there are perhaps not to exceed 75.000 thoroughbred horses. The great mass of these are held in England, France. Germany, the Inited states and Canada. Australasia. Austro-Hungary flud rttissia. Italy has a respectable contingent and so has South Africa. In South America, only Argen tina possesses nay considerable number, bat of late yearn Brazil, Chili and Pen have imported moderately. There are not lacking indications that wealthy men in Brazil are beginning to grow envious of the example of Argentina, and it is probable thai this richest of South American nations will itselt presently become the home of a greatly increased number. Considerable purchases on Brazilian ac count were quite a feature of the December Sale at Newmarket, whereas act one was there bought for the United states. Probably our thoroughbreds have decreased twenty five or thirty per cent in the course ef the last eight years, but even so the Inited Btates possesses right now more than all the countries of South America combined and there are a number of countries important politically that scarcely have ■ single saectmea of this aristocrat of kersedom. Beginning With 1000. the number of thoroughbred horses raced that year over North American tracks and in the years succeeding was as follows: Year. Horses. Year. Horse. I.KKI 4.702 1007 5.062 1001 R,12J ] M .S .-,.40r. UMZ 5.271 1900 4.S00 lyes 5,625 ioio 4. iso 1!KI| r,.062 1011 t.O.IS 1905 0.252 1912 3.553 I.aiii 5.902 Pram ibis it will be seen that Urn comparison baa been between the rear with the greatest numb. of keiatl in racing and the year with the least number, the discrepancy being •J.iiTo horses. Perhaps it woald be fairer to say that the average number for the thirteen years was a fraction over 5:120 and a comparison on that basis would disclose thr net that In 1912 the namber of horses raced eras l . r.»;T less than the average. ttf course, the unduly panic-stricken American breeders, or a part of them, are largely to blame for our severe losses. Por the principal sellers, .Tamos B. Haggin and .lanes R. Keene. the excuse ciin be offered thai both are far advanced in yean and old age is more prone to discouragement than Insty manhood. It was perhaps natural for both to conclude everything had gone to smash, an far as a market for thoroughbred- in the United Slats ami cincined But the reflect ion cannot be escaped that since they had made up their minds to send their kernes abroad to be sold for what thej might bring, there was no reason evident whv they should lii Eave tried the home market first. That big band sent to Argentina, for instance, would almost surely have brought more money in this country Ihan it did there anil, tiesides the splendidly bred brood mares so sacrificed, such horse* as Arkle. Dieudonne, Plral Water, Gerolstein. Indio. Kilmarnock, Kinley H.sck, McCbesney, Mimic. Reliable. Slmpr.il. Wild Mint and Zambesi would have remained here to help bolster up our sorely harassed resources in the line of such horses. However, tin- patriotic element seemed to have had small consideration in the affair There is another individual element worth note. The sugar magnate J. O, Oxnard. has for a mini her of years past s, U| the yearling product of tps big Virginia breeding establishment to England for sale Ht million and it is aii open question Whether the prices he received much more than paM trans portatfcm and other incidental expenses. Surely he could in IV way nave ihrne worse by selling in this country, thereby keening these voung kernel in Amerlcaa ownership. The right of ■ man to d.. what be pleases iu a lawful way with bis own properly i not •• be disputed, lei! there are certain o urs s ef notion that may lastly lie- criticised. The action of the bleeders referred to. and other- not named. reaaea under thai head. The theory that there is u honi" market for thoroughbreds was confuted In a remarkable manner when the Keene yearlings were unld by F. R Bradley last year. F.vidence was there afforded that there is a good home market to ahvj for good stock and perhaps there has been all along. Regist ration figures taken from the book* of the New fork .locl.ey Club show that since the year 1906, the registration Of thoroughbred foals ill America has fallen off nearly to per cent and there are no Remediate prospects of a gain. In that Tear the books show that 4.41 7, foals were regis lend, again-t 1 004 for the current year. At first glance it would appear that such a registration would be enough to supply the race courses in this country and Canada — for Canada is Included in these registrations — but it must be remembered that about 40 per cent, of those registered never go to the post. Hence the supply is getting so low that it will take but a short time to wipe out the thoroughbred altogether unless Canada comes to the rescue. Heretofore this country has been the source of supply for Canada, excepting in a few eases, and if it we"re not for American horses there would hardly be sufficient to hold a seven-days meeting in the Dominion. The Canadians are aware of the de crease in American breeding states and quite a number of owners in that country are stocking their farms with breeding material, knowing that the resources from this side of the border are constantly becoming more limited. The exportation of broodmares, yearlings and stallions from this country has been by the wholesale in the last two years. Though there were more horses sent away in 1011 ihan this year, the Inter shipments included the best in the country. It may be that the registration of foals has reached rock bottom. Iu fact, it is so believed by the Jockey Club officials, as Cue young mares that will lie placed in the stud from now on probably will assist some, but they are not optimistic about it. It is a condition that others besides those interested in the thoroughbred should take under serious consideration. To think that two of the largest conn Irie iu Ihe world, the United Stales and Canada. will hardlj have enough thoroughbred horses to pro ride racing material for the future, is an item that should not be overhjoked. During the Row War. according to General Wood, who points to statistics for his assertion. Kngland purchased thousands of horses and mules in this country to be sent to Africa. They brought fine prices, too. What would be the result today if sii-h a demand arose? There is but one answer. "We have not enough for ourselves." For patriotic reasons, if for nothing else, this country should not he deprived of its horses whether they be thor-oaghbreds, trotters or of the cold -blooded type.
