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HOLDING OWN WITH IMPORTED STOCK. American-Bred Race Horso Proving Old Contention That It Is Second to None. "From present indications the American-bred race horse seems to he able to hold its own against the numerous importations of the stock of England and Franco, and it is gratifying, indeed, to those breeders who contend that the old, stout, rugged, hard-bottomed American-bred race horse was second to none and that the descendants of the old stock have been improved and are now able to demonstrate their superiority in any country over any kind of a course and under any conditions," writes C. K. Brossmau. "As a matter of fact, breeders of this country have always contended that the soil, climate, water, grain and grasses of certain portions of the United States would produce a better individual from the same pedigree than could be produced elsewhere. From about 1750 until a much later period Virginia was celebrated us the cradle and home of the best horses in the colonies. Only the best horses were impoited and patronized. Jolly Roger, Janus, Moretons Traveler, Fearnought, Medley and their descendants laid a foundation that was substantial and permanent and gave to Virgina an enviable reputation as a horse breeding district. In an early day breeders did not breed for public sale. They, as a rule, were representatives of that fine, old type of country gentlemen, agriculturalists, who felt a family pride in the products of the farm and wanted to demonstrate the superiority of horses of their own breeding. At times they would bet prodigiously up to 0,000 a side when the faorite of one section was matched against the favorite of a rival section. At other times they would race just as hard for some trivial souvenir, such as a set of silver spoons. The glory of winning was what they desired most. Old Sports Keen Students of Pedigrees. "These old sports were keen students of pedigree and close observers of racing form, prompt to eliminate any strain that showed any sign of weakness. The training preparation was unusually severe, but the horses were trained to perfection and if there were any weak places it was discovered at home before they were sent to the races. When they went to the races they were fit and could run, if required, three, four or five heats of four miles each in an afternoon without that danger to the .constitutional and reproductive powers which might .result to a horse put to a severe test but Jialf prepared. Boston started thirty-eight times, winning thirty-five races, twenty-six of them being four mile heats and seven at three mile heats, winning in money 9,500 and retired to the stud sound as a yearling, where lie proved to be as great a success as his reputation on the turf had indicated. The present generation seems to be obsessed with the idea that the good horses of the past had no speed. Nothing could be farther from the fact. Lexington ran the last quarter in one of his four mile races in 24. In my own time I saw Galen work a quarter of a mile in 22 over the Washington Park track. Bob Wade ran a quarter at Butte, Mont.," in 1800 in 21 Vi. In 189S Macy, at Washington Park, had just run to a worlds record of one mile and twenty yards in 1:40. When a few days after he and Imp met in a race of one and one-eighth miles; all of the others had scratched out, leaving a two horse race just Imp and Macy. Mr. Schorr, the owner of Macy, gave instructions to his jockey, Tom Burns, "to make every post a winning post and make Imp stop." Wanted to Sco Imp in Lead All tho Way. "I had Willie Caywood on Imp and gave him about the same kind of instructions. I told him to get off straight and running and that I wanted to see Imp in the lead all the way, and if Macy started to make his run on the backstretch to make a desperate ride on Imp any part of the road they might select, and we would see which one lasted the longest. So it was evident that there would he a horse race from start to finish. They got away to a good start, both doing their best. Imp beat Macy- to the first turn and led by about a length around the turn, and up the backstretch the positions were about the same. Just before they came to the half mile post Macy started to improve his position and Caywood let out a link on Imp, and they ran from the half to the three-eightlM post, one eighth of a mile, in :11 flat, after ioing five-eighths of a mile at racing speed, Burns to tho whip and Imp still a length in the lead, going along in that frictionless maimer that was so peculiar to her. After they came into the homestretch Imp increased her lead, and Burns, seeing it was a hopeless task, quit riding Macy and let him canter out. Along about the eighth Caywood looked hack and saw that he had the race won easily and allowed Imp to ease up and canter also, but she finished the one and one-eighth miles in l:5tand, which was the record on that track then and if Caywood had not pulled Imp up at the eighth post she likely would have run that race a couple of seconds faster. I am simply mentioning these facts to show that we had in the past a number of horses that had speed equal to any of the present day. Old Rosebud, Liberty Loan, Skeptic, Cudgel, King Gorin, Rosie OGrady and numerous other fast and game American-bred horses are winning their share of desirable stakes, and American breeders need not fear that the American horse will not lie able to hold his own against the horses bred In any other country in the woild."
