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ADVOCATES MORE LONG-DISTANCE RACING. Tlie Thoroughbred Record, discussing an article from the pen of Augur, published in tlie Inidou Sporting Lire, in which he bewailed tlie scarcity of good stayers in England and advocated the introduction of more long-distance races on the daily programs, makes the following comment: "Poorly as England, judging from the conclusions of Augur, is off for stayers, in how much worse a plight are we here in tlie United States, where so little is done to encourage long-distance racing. For some reason few of the racing associations offer any inducements at all to owners and trainers to develop horses capable of staying a distance, and a race of one and one-quarter miles is nowadays considered to Ik- a fair test of a horses stamina, and it is tlie exception to tind any race beyond this distance included in tlie daily program. Of course, we now have the Kentucky Endurance Stakes, of four miles, at weight for age. but owners and trainers, advisedly, have so far declined to train their better-class horses for this event. Tlie reasons are obvious. In the lirst place, there are no preceding long-distance races in which horses may be gradually worked up to successfully negotiate the full course of four miles, and. in the second place, there is the great and ever present danger of a breakdown by subjecting horses to so severe a test; and just why. except for sentimental reasons, the distance of this race was lixed at four miles it is hard to understand, for any horse capable of winning the four-mile race would be practically certain to come out triumphant if the distance were reduced to say two and one-half miles and likewise an animal good enough to win at 1 lie shorter distance would stand in but little danger of defeat over tlie longer route. Last season the race in question developed into something little short of a farce, resulting in tlie incapacitation of some of the competitors for further racing. Surely two and one-quarter or two and one-half miles is as far as anv horse should be asked to travel at racing pace with his weight up. and, if the distance of the Kentucky Endurance Stakes were reduced to two and one-half miles, we feel certain that it would meet with the hearty approval of and the increased support of both owners and trainers, and horses of better class be found competing for the prize. "As matters now stand, we are surfeited by six and seven furlong sprints, which enable an unsound and undesirable class of horse to carry off much of the sKiils. An unsound horse can frequently be trained to race over short distances, but it requires soundness, as well as a stout heart, for the sustained effort necessary to race successfully over a ditance of ground. "Every trainer is well aware of the fact that as racing is now conducted, the sprinter is a better paying proHisition than the stayer. The? former is able to put in his two races a week practically the season through: on the other hand, it has been found im-, possible to keep the stayer up to the top of his form for any such length of time. In view of this, would it not lie good policy on the part of the racing associations to increase the values of the purses competed for by stayers and to award smaller amounts for the sprinting events. This of itself would "ii-courage the development of tlie stayer, whose requirements to not seem to be recognized as they should by those responsible for the making up of the daily racing programs, as at present the value of all classes of purses and selling races is practically the same, no reference being made in favor of the" stayer. "The Thoroughbred Record sincerely advocates the introduction in reason of more long distance racing and is of the opinion that a good purpose would In-served if the racing associations were requested to include in their daily programs at least one race f no less distance than one and one-half miles and not less than three races of one mile or upward. Races of this description are immensely popular with the public, and. if adequate compensations were made, this class of race would be equally so with owners and trainers, and our breeders would then be encouraged to turn out a better class of horse one that would command respect in every land than is now the case."
