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SOMETHING ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF RACING. Horses That Founded the Present Breed of Thoroughbreds — Englands Race Tracks. P.y Arthur W. Glass. Louisville. Ky.. April 3. — Earliest recorded tests of speed witli banes were chariot races, at the Greek national festivals, most notable of which were the Olympic games, hold every fourth year. However. Greek sculpture of Hie classic period usually represents the horse for bare-back ridinir. but he was not used for spotting contests, except incidentally in the chariot racing. Put in the Roman contests the horse was generally ridden. Hence to the Unmans must be given the credit for originating racing, as continued without a break to tliis day. Tin RoauuH laid down and minute];,- followed .-ill the formalities of entering, differentiation of classes, starting and even of diatiagaiablag colors of jockeys uniforms, almost precisely as at later day courses. Aie ient Kome hold its equestrian races on the open plains. An old tradition of England lias beta that on Salisbury Plain, Weltshire, where the famous Druid Temple stones stand, the remains of a Roman race course exist. On a flat meadow, just outside the onee Roman city of Chester, in England, is run the oldest nee in England, an heritage of the days of the Eatin occupation. The Romans found tie- native Angles superior horsemen and natural charioteers, and contests were helil at Ycrulamittm ami Camalodunum, and the then rather bseoasequential camp of London. Their ■axon successors maintained the use and training of the horse. When in the ninth century Hagb Cupet SOaght the hand of King Athclstans sister. he brought se ral "running horses" as a propitiatory gift. In England, Fitz-Stepheii and other mediaeval wt it.-rs reeord the first lines about the fraqaeat bone-raeiag contests there. In 1540, the Major of Chester presented a silver lull to 1, ■ given to the v. inner of a race five times .-Hound "The Goody." while the citizens collected ten pounds to be gin n to the winner. Public Seventeenth Century Racing. In the refara of .lames I. MS2-M2S, public race meitings were held at Carterly. in Yorkshire; Kin-toll, iii Cambridgeshire; Enfield Chase, ami Cory- don. it Surrey. In the days of Charles 1.. V market, mot fain mis course in the worhl. became prominent. Oliver Cromwell kept and extensively bred horses at his farm at Coveney. three mips from Newmarket. Charles II.. a great patron of all sports, fostered the sport of ruing. Horses that practice flat racing arc universally known as thoroughbreds, yet as a matter of fact, they are the product of cross -brt ■cling. Continued for many centuries. In the fourth century, Vege-tius placed the African horse of Spanish Hood first in chariot racing, but recommended the Persian a the beat saddle horse. Tsmrs I. pun lissr d a highly celebrated bane for breeding purposes, but the Barley Arabian, imported in 17P." . wis the progenitor through his great grandson Eclipse, foaled in 1764 of the modern turf. He was the -ire of Abnanam and Aleppo, but his best-known •■on was Plying Childers. .Many ether sires and dams followed this Importation, among which the Thoulsuac Barb and the white-legged Lowther Barb wen- the beat. The Byerly Turk produce.! High Flyer, and the Godolnhin At-iii was Matchens grandsire. Others yet remembered a:e Moused urhich won the Derby la I7sn and was exported to America; Pay MhMleton, The Plying Dutchasan, West Australian, Blink Bonny, Hermit. Gawpia, Bend Or, Saint Simon. Saint Blaise, Ormonde and Pershnmon. la England and Am riea there is practically no difference in training, except in taking the foul la hand. la Eagland the majority of foals are l.-rt to develop slowly until well int.. the second year. Nntimcnt now in America is growing stronger ag.-.inst early racing of two-year-olds, as affecting their usefulness at a time when they should show their best form, and also as a retarding factor iii the advancement of tie- breed. Englands most famous nee course is Newmarket. established in 1887, where the Cambridgeshire, the Cesarewitch, the One Thousand cui!.c:.s. and the Two Thousand Guineas arc annually run. There ere eight meetings a year then, in May, duly and October, each lasting from three to four days, with intervals b twci n each meeting. The Derby has be* ■ run at Epsom since 17*-. and the »al.s sine.- 177 ». The Ascot meeting has been continuous since 1727, and Goodwood since 1862.
