Cubans Becoming Owners: Wealthy Sugar Planters Purchase Thoroughbreds in Considerable Number, Daily Racing Form, 1915-12-28

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i . ; I , I , , 1 , i , , I i ! J ; [ [ [ 1 1 ! : ! ; I f l f - % l CUBANS BECOMING OWNERS WEALTHY SUGAR PLANTERS PURCHASE THOROUGHBREDS IN CONSIDERABLE NUMBER. Crossing Thoroughbreds with Hardy Native Pony Hares Expected to Produce High-Class Polo Ponies — Riders at Havana. Havana. Cuba. December 27.— Several rich Cubans have already purchased some thoroughbreds and a half dozen yearlings, which were secured in Kentucky by Dr. Laine last summer for some of his friends on the island, are showing some excellent trials. There are already about six different stables here owned by Cubans and by next season it is expected that there will be fifty. The tremendous price that the planters have realized for their sugar crop has made money plentiful on the island and many of these rich planters will go in for racing. Some of them have already purchased broodmares and foals are expected from seven of these mares next spring. Dr. Laine, who is a prominent veterinarian liere. selected these mares last winter. Senor Miguel Mendoza. owner of the sugar plantation Santa Ocrtrndis. has six mares, among them Plash. Still Day and lone. He also has the stallion Idleweiss at his place. Senor Luciano Diaz, another sugar planter, has, among others. Idialo and Freewill and the stallion Pecos. Dr. Laine himself has the mares Anna Rose and Blanche Lewis. The stallion Mineral Water is also on the island. The government is anxious to foster the breeding of horses in Cuba and also to improve the quality of the stock. It would not be surprising to see the government purchase a couple of highbred stallions and a number of mares next year and establish a breeding bureau under government supervision. It has been suggested that some small thoroughbred stallens be purchased and bred to the native ponies, with the idea of producing a type adapted for polo. There are no better ponies in the world than the native Cuban pony. They are as wiry as steel, tough as a pine knot and "iii-iny of them have as many as five gaits. All of them are pacers and Dr. Laine is authority for the statement that when crossed with the thoroughbred they lose the pace. The government has already purchased thirty ponies and thev have been donated to officers in the army at different points witli tlie-:dea of using them as polo ponies. President Menocal is anxious to introduce this sport on the island and several instructors are here teaching the officers the dperent points of the game. Th« Cubans are natural horsemen, are quick t.i catch on. and it would not be surprising to find them adepts at polo in a couple of years. It did not take them long to become great ball players and there is no reason why they should not be as proficient at p. do. A steady improvement has been observable daily both in attendance and the volume of speculation since the opening of the meeting and everyone here is elated over the pros|iects. Racing has certainly caught the fancy of the Cubans and predictions are freely made that the sport will become even more popular than was Jila iu Cubi. With its beautiful approaches and attractive grounds Oriental Park is now a picture spot. No expense has lieen spared to make the place attractive anl this has appealed to the natives. As to the racing, considering the fact that the fields in a majority of instances have been made up of the poorer class of horses, the sport has been first class. It has been clean and wholesome and n .t even the most exacting faultfinder could find any- thing to criticise. The stewards have been on their job and very little escapes their attention. Chris Fitzgerald who i« the presiding official, makes note of the warm-ups and is a close observer of the preparation of the horses in the paddock. Albert Dobson watches the races from diffierent points on the track, shifting his position daily. The jock eys have already learned that rough riding will not 1m- tolerated and as a rule every horse keens his course during the entire running of a race . The excellent condition of the track has. in a great measure, eliminated rough riding. The boys do not have to pick their si ots. one part of th« track being equal to the other. The footing is excellent all over and there is no choice. Harry Brown still has a force of men working on the track and the new top soil that be has laid is admirably suited for the purpose required. The time made in the various races indicates that the footing at Oriental Park is equal if not suiierior to that of any w!nter track in the States. Here is a list of the jockevs here who are ap-; prentices: Lapaille. Allen, Faye. Ball. Parring- ton. Gartner. Hirst. .Tarlioe. Kollock. LaMasters. Lomas. Median. Mountain. Preece. Pitz. Pearee. Sterrett. Watson. Williams. Weatherby. Maldnev and Cruise. The full-fledged jockeys are: Bauer. Raker. Coleman. Connelly. Doininick. Doyle, !arg:;n. Hanover. Hinphy, Hatt, Irvin, Jones. Jackson. Miller, Meripole. Munro. Moore. Nicklaus. Ieak. Rvan. Smyth. Schuttinger. Taplin. Watts. Ward. Whytnark. Young. Oargan, LafTertv. Dennison. Ryan. Borel. Troxler. Jenkins and Wolstenholm. Through an error some of the publications in the States had the purses at Oriental Park S::i . The smallest purse here is 00 and the fnrthe-t thought of the management is cutting them. In fact, it is the intention of manager Brown to raise the purses to 00 just as soon as conditions warrant and. by the way. the meeting has im-I proved over last winter and it looks as if this might be done before long. The sport here needs no "boosters" and continues to thrive despite the knocks that have lieen circulated by those rot con- versant with conditons here. Every one here is well satisfied and there are iiinnv who claim that it will eventually develop into the grandest winter racing point in the world.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1915122801/drf1915122801_1_5
Local Identifier: drf1915122801_1_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800