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CONCERNING IMPROVEMENT IN STAMINA. Obviously the tendency towards encouraging speed at the expense of stamina is impressing itself upon racing people in the United States, just as it forced itself upon the attention of our own leading owners and breeders a few years ago. How the matter was settled in this country is best explained by the following extracts from the rules now in force, viz. : 45. At every meeting, one -half, at least, of the total amount guaranteed for prizes shall be apportioned to races of a mile or over for three-year-olds and upwards, and of this half, not less than a moiety shall be for races of a mile and a quarter or upwards. 47 1. There shall be in each days program two races of a mile or upwards of the minimum aggregate distance of two miles and a half. These races must differ at least one f-urlong iu distance . . . and one of them shall be neither a handicap nor a race with selling conditions. There are, of course, many old-standing longdistance events run for during a normal season in England, but on certain courses of restricted area there was a natural disposition to refrain from all attempt to provide contests in which stamina was the object aimed at. The executives of such courses were necessarily obliged to revise their programs in consequence of the passage of the amended rules quoted above, and if in certain instants the task was one calling f..r a good deal of ingenuity. I cannot recall any meeting which dropped out of the fixture list on account of inability to comply with the Jockey Clubs requirements. Thus, while almost all the old-fashioned races for stayers still retain their popularity, what may be termed medium-distance contests are far more numerous now than they were at the period when the authorities felt it necessary to take action in the matter. In America, apparently, a minimum of a mile is regarded as fulfilling the description "longdistance." and. of course, it is well known that in spite of our having seen here several excellent stayers from the United States, it remains an article of faith with us that horses bred on the other side of the Atlantic are, as a race, deficient in stamina. After his several years sojourn in this country. Andrew Joyner. than whom there was never a more populsir or respected visitor to these islands, will be able to give his countrymen some valuable information regarding the respective merits of British and American-bred race horses. Joyner had under his care many brilliant sprinters, as well as one high -class medium-distance performer in Whisk Broom amongst the horses he trained for Mr. Harry P. Whitney. As he would be the first to admit, however, none of his charges was able to compare in the matter of stamina with the English-bred Warlingham. which he trained in 1914-15 for Lord Lonsdale. Winner of the Cesare-witch as a three-year-old. Warlingham was twice successful — at a mile and a half and two miles — while Joyner had him. The son of Wargrave and Sunny South thereby enabled Joyner to prove himself just as capable of preparing stayers as sprinters, and that it was for lack of the right sort of material that this much-liked trainer had not hitherto sent out winners of long-distance events. As already remarked, quite a number of American-bred winners of races over a distance of ground have been enrolled in our records, and it is not so many years ago — in 190.x — that that most searching of all cross-country tests of endurance, the Grand National, was won by Rubio, a son of Star Ruby and La Toquera. a mare tracing to I.exington. It is only reasonable to assume, therefore, that if the American racing authorities will pay greater htten-tion to the question of stamina, whatever deficiency iu his respect really exists at present will be made good in the course of a few years. Many splendidly-bred animals have recently left us for new homes in the United States, and their future influence at the stud, in conjunction with the suggested new legislation, should have the desired effect, and eventually make for the improvement in stamina. In connection with the discussion amongst American trainers it was wisely contended that the general public could not Ik- favorably impressed with the fact that racing encouraged the breeding of better horses as long as animals three years old and upwards were racing at distances of less than a mile, while many of the races were at three-quarters or less. This, they further contended, gave the public the impression that the thoroughbred of today was nothing more than a sprinter, and that race horses had really deteriorated since the days of Lexington and other heroes of earlier generations. — London Sporting Life.
