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J. + CONTINUATION OF KENTUCKY ENDURANCE STAKES STRONGLY ADVOCATED i . + JU J. + ; I | i i ■ ; , i . , Thai fourth biennial report of the Kentucky Slate II. oing Comission was recently presented to tbe t la gislature of that state, in accordance with the i ItroviaaaM of tbe law under which the commission l was created. It consisted principally of two reiiorts i pn sen ted to the commission itself by Charles F. i liiainger, its steward and representative at the meetings given last year at Churchill Downs by tbe New Louisville Jockey Club. These two reports i summarise in a general way tbe conditions UDder 1 which racing is now being conducted in Kentucky I and are well worth Ihe perusal of the devoiees of i ;li.- -porl. They are as follows: I Louisville, Ky., June 7. WIS. Milion Young. Bag., Chairman Kentucky Racing Ceaanml — Inn, Lexington. Ky. l I. .ai- Sir: -I beg to submit the following report as sii ward for the rac- inciting held at Churchill Downs, beginning May Ml and continuing for twelve days: Churchill Dawns, in all of its history of nearly forty years, never looked prettier or more attractive i than ii did on Derby da.. Many Improvements were conspicuous to tbe eye. The paddock had i bull enlarged and beSUtlUcd wilh trees and foliage, the lawns extended, Ihe Center Held skilled Willi Bowers, and lln- grounds adorned in many ways. Thirty thousand people had assembled i pay ..mi. age lo the thoroughbred and lo demonstrate their love of ihe turf. All classes of people, not onlj from Kentucky, Imt from all sections i the country, were embraced in the multitude. Iland- soiueij gowned women and well -dressed men tilled . :he -lands, clubhouses and l.iwiis. while in the i center held, free :i- the air. wen- assembled twelve .r hftcen rhaataund of the sous of toil. And as the ten starters went to the post in the greatest of :iii Kentucky turf events, the cheer thai weal up from i iin vast throng attested the grcai popularity of racing Willi the public. Indeed, the picture was one iiu i England herself, the mother of racmg, might have viewed with self-exultation. Men from all walks of life were present — from the bar. He- clergy, tbe professions, the business world .mil ;Ik workshop— all orderly, well-behaved, spoil levuiu. broail-ininiled people. It was a striking tri-I.uie in the "S|Kiri of King-" and. as I contemplated it. l regretted tli.n those weii-uu anmg. bin mis-guided men. who opposed racing in oilier stales. Pecans ■ of fancied evils, were net ihere to see the picture as 1 did, and to observe the enjoyment of an innocent pastime of tbe masses. Not one of them, ie my opinion, would have returned home unconverted. Ihe me- ling in iis entirety was one of the liest ever held in Kentucky. Tile racing wa- clean and fornifnl, the starting excellent, the officials of Ihe meeting vigilant. The opera lion pf the pari-mutuel department, a- shown by the report of .Mr. Landsman, herewith submitted, was llawless. You will observe by his report thai not a single error was made, which is remarkable when it is considered Low many thousand II of tickets were handled. In compliance wilh the wishes of the commission. I consulted with Ihe starter as to tbe use of whip-by bis assistants while horses were at the posl. and was assured that no cruelty or misuse would be practiced. Mr. Cassidy also assembled the lidi r- and a-ked their co-operation in securing fair starts; that good results could be achieved only by their help. .Indue Price also cautioned the jockeys against tough riding or any Infractions ol the rules. Ihe lieueticial result of these adinonil ions uid conferences was manifested, tbe infraction- being i-w ..ml not of a fragrant nature. The application of the new rule regarding the surplus in -i lling race- was tirst made al this meeting. One extra rac,. of was given out of tin- Advance Fund thus created, leaving a small balance of $::•!•» in the bands of the club to be run tor ai its i.ext inciting. The appointment of a patrol .judge, in my opinion, contributed much to the discipline of ihe jo. -key-anil helped lo minimize the rough riding. Taken in all of its aspect — Ihe vast crowds of orderly people, the high quality of racing, the cleanness of Ihe spoil and tbe enthusiasm shown — ihe meeting was one that would refiecr credit upon any community, and even contribute additional glory to the fame of old Kentucky, the home of the thoroughbred. It -bowed thai deep in the hearts ol the pci pie there is love of the turf and tta institution-, and lliat this will be as long as life lasts Respectively submitted, IIAKI.KS I. GBAlKGBB, Steward Kepreseniini; Kacing Commission. Louisville. Ky.. Nov. 21. P.M.:. Milton Young. Bag., Chairman Kentucky Racing Commission, Lexington. Ky. My Dear Sir. I beg to submit herewith my report as steward appointed by you for the eleven nays meeting held st Churchill Downs, beginning October s. PH.*!. The great Kentucky Kiidiirance Stakes was run Upon the lirsl day, Ihe distance lieing lour miles. . + JU t i l i i i 1 I i I l i i . i i The gold cup, valued at ,088, donated by tbe Kentucky Pacing Commission, and the 0,MJO added by ihe New Louisville Jockey Tub Churchill Downs, together wilh tbe entrance money, made this both iu value and prestige, one of the most attractive races run iu this country during the year 1913. Tbe race ilself was disappointing, there being only four starters. They were, with tbe exception of tbe winner, of ordinary class, three of them being sent to the post totally unlit for a four-mile race. Inforiunately, four other horses of much higher class, to which the owners bad given a ace paration suitable for such a bruising contest, had gone ami-s in training within two weeks ol Ihe •■vent: and so tbe tield which bad promised lo be not only of goodly proportions, tint of high class. dwindled In four only, of which hut one had been rained to go the route. one of the entries. Flora Fina. as game an auiuial as ever was bred, after irailiug the others for three and one half miles, made a determined ettorl to linish second. Just after fussing the wire she fal i. nil and it was pitiful to behold and enlisted ihe sympathy of all who witnessed her aapntb struggle, In HI iiiv life I never saw such a demons! i al ion of courage. However, after I few minutes of rest the mure uut up and walked away in fair condition. I learned afterward thai the only training of nee para Una she bad received was about twa weeks work for tbe test of a four mile race. Naturally, ihere has been adverse criticism : sense contending ihai ihe race should be diseon tinned; others l ti.it the distance should he lessened Either course, in my opinion, would i - little short of a turf calamity. Horses bred tndaj are as good or probably belter, than ever before. It is net a question of blood, but of training. Iu the old days ii was no unusual thing to see horses run not only races of four miles, but of four-mile heats. Some of these races required live heals, so that a horse would have to run twenty miles during a single afternoon, Beaton, Lexington, Pelloweraft, lea Crock and many others that have left their iin press upon the blood lines of the Kentucky thoroughbred, had no trouble in going four miles or farther. Boston won forty races, thirty of theni being four-mile heats, nine of them three-mile heats, and one of two-mile heats: and his last race of four-•nile heats was won when be was nine years old. !.i • iagtoaa deetfi are within the memory of tbe present generation. His last race, against tbe greyi l.ecompte. was in four -mile heals. He never broke d.wn. and his legs were as so 1 on the day of his death as when he was lirst tint in training, lei loweraft, twenty years later, was ihe tirst hone to beat Lexingions time for four miles, which he did at Saratoga in 1S74. He was retired to the stud sound of limb and wind. Ten Broecks deeds need no recounting. These were great horses, and we h-ive in Kentucky today horses equally as great, but they are not ir. lined to go a distasce. 1 iiiv years age there were msnj races at four miles, Today there is but one in all America The Kentucky Endurance Slake-. Time, patience, and the co-operaiion of the turfmen are needed. 1 regret, thai the support of the Kentucky breeders and owners bas been i. liking in the past. Of lie- twenty subscription- to the slake this year, sixteen came from other states ih.-iu Keuucky. Not only sentiment and the prestige of victory, but the money consideration, il would seem to me, should appeal to all alike. Pnndorina, the winner of the last Endurance Stakes, won as much money in this one race as the best three-year-old in 1913. Cock o the Walk, con--idered about the best of that age, won a liille oyer 9,088 in all of bis races. Pandorina won in ally 0,998 and a ,988 gold cup in Ihe one race. She bad won only one race prior to this, so lliat it was not class but condition that made her win. She showud no ill effects of -the strain, and started again within a fortnight thereafter in a two-mile race. In my opinion, the Kentucky Endurance Stakes should not only be continued and perpetuated, but additional inlerest should be manifested in it by the members of the commission, by the breeders of Kentucky, and by all horsemen iu general. Instead of twenty subscriptions only, there should be fifty. insuring a good held and a contest worthy of so men :ui event. It may take a few years for the modem horsemen i neauire the *rl of titling a boras for so long a race, but ii is bound to follow. The other races during the meeting were of high class and keenly contested. There was little rough riding, and but few instances where tbe stewards vvete required to reprimand or punish the Jockeys. the attendance was large and of high class, demonstrating the popularity of racing iu Kentucky. The plan recently adopted of keeping a stewards booh to be used at each of the tracks, for the pur pose of recording all rulings made, is an excellent • •lie in my opinion. II i- now in the hands of the commission, and I would suggest Unit a copy of the text of these rulings he seal to other jock.v clubs or turf authorities fir the pnrix.se of ra opeiallon find for the promotion of clean racing. Respectfully submitted. CHAKLF.S 1. GKA1NGF.R, Steward.
