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i RACING IN THE ANTEBELLUM DAYS Value of Thoroughbred Strikingly Exemplified in the Long War of Years Ago. The recollection of interesting exiiericnces in riding ami training horses away back in the antebellum days, as related by Bernard Riley, an old-time trainer of race horses, makes good readine. but what seems to be of greater interest to the turfmen of the day is this old horsemans advocacy of racing as a sport, as a means for the improvement of the horses of this country and the promotion of horse breeding as a valuable" and important industry. Although born in Jersey City in the thirties, Bernard ISiley went south when a mere Itoy and be -came such and out-and-out Southerner that on the breaking out of the war he quit the turf temporarily and joined a cavalry troop in New Orleans, which was assigned to the command of Lieutenant -General Polk, under whom he served until that officer was killed anil succeeded by Lieutenant-Gen-eral Stewart, and under him Mr. Riley served until the last gun had keen tired in behalf of the lost cause. His long service as a Confederate trooper rendered him especially qualified to judge of the value of the thoroughbred for military purposes, and he unhesitatingly declares that it was largely due to the excellence of its cavalry horses, which were for the most part either thoroughbreds or half-breds. that the Confederacy was able to astonish the civilized world by holding out against overwhelming odds as long as it did. "We put up a great fight against tremendous odds in men and resources." he said, "and it was mainly due to the fact that we had race horses and well-bred saddle horses under troopers who were accustomed to riding that we were able to do so. Of course, unflinching bravery, patriotism and chivalry in the best sense counted for much in our successes, but it must be remembered that the Federals had all the qualities in array against us. and we held out when our resources would otherwise have been exhausted because we could capture 70 per cent of our sustenance from the wagon trains of the Federals, which were constantly being surprised and plundered by our cavalry, regular and irregular. CAVALRYMEN ON THOROUGHBREDS. "At the time the war broke out racing was the great amusement throughout the south and a great proportion of our cavalrymen were mounted on thoroughbreds of the old sort — horses which for many generations had been bred and trained to run three and four mile heats when riding was the most popular means of recreation and locomotion among the southerners. "Federal officers, who had been accustomed to green troopers mounted on clumsy, heavy footed farm horses, totally unfit for saddle or even light harness purposes, could not believe possible the night journeys which our raiders would make, and even when they were keeping the closest watch upon the movements of our cavalry troopers, it was easy for us to surprise their wagon trains and secure supplies which were invaluable to us, while the loss of them was crippling our enemies. "That was, in my opinion, the real reason why our armies in the field were able to hold out so long against overpowering odds as far as men and money were concerned. "This was undoubtedly the great lesson taught to the civilized world by that terrible war, and yet. strangely enough, our own country, which, as the greatest sufferer, should have been first to profit by it. is still about the only great power to ignore it. It is a crime to mount a good soldier on a bad horse and yet it is what is being done in this country today. England, Germany, France. Russia and indeed, all the great powers have recognized the inestimable value of cavalry, especially for scocting, raiding and foraging and have made the most strenuous efforts to systematically produce the highest type of cavalry and artillery horses by breeding animals having a strong infusion of the warm blood of the race horse. "They have bought stallions from English race courses at enormous figures to be placed on government breeding farms, and they are doing everything in their power to encourage farmers to breed their mares to thoroughbred sires for the production of the best types of army horses and officers chargers: ■iiiU even Canada and Australia are actively engaged along these lines. On the other hand, iu this country, we are doing much to ruin horse breeding, especially the breeding of thoroughbreds, through anti-racing legislation. "This at one time threatened to utterly ruin the thoroughbred breeding industry in every part of this country, but fortuuately Mr,, Belmont, Air. Whitney. Mr. Ryan. Mr. Billings and other wealthy horsemen came to the rescue, and the result is that the ■•art has been greatly rehabilitated, and that on the liberal and sportsmanlike lines which were characteristic of ante-bellum racing. RESTORATION OF SPORT APPEARS CERTAIN. "There is now an excellent prospect of a complete; revival of the sport upon a foundation which cannot fail to appeal to the good taste and common sense of the best men in this country, even though they may not have any especial liking for the sport, hut for the sake of what horse racing, and resultant horse breeding, may do in the way of improving the equine product of the entire country." Referring to his own career as a turfman. Mr. Riley said that as early as the winter of 1852-53 he rode in races at New Orleans, although when he first left home in Jersey City for the south he landed in Mobile, which was then a racing point of considerable importance. "I rode several races in New Orleans that winter." he said, "hut few of my mounts were on horses which were at all prominent. The last horse I rode was a white stallion called White Eagle. He was by Gray Eagle — Hannah Harris. He belonged to a gentleman named Drake, who lived in Michigan and who sent him south to race in New Orleans. White Eagle was fairly successful and made a good showing at three and four-mile heats. Indeed, the gentlemen sportsmen of those days would not keep a race horse which .could not run three or four miles, and about all the races were at heats, dashes seldom being thought of. If a horse could not win at more than a mile or two miles, he was suspected of being short-bred and was sold to a farmer or owner who raced at county fairs and small meetings, such as we call bush meetings nowadays." When asked if he thought Lexington could have held his own with the race horses of today, Mr. Riley answered unhestitatingly in the affirmative. "You see, he said, "our conditions were different from those of today. Owners would not think of running their horses Over such tracks as we have now. The running tracks of those days were so deep and soft that a horse would sink almost hoof-deep in them, and a trotter couldnt show a road gait ou one of them. A trainer of those days would no more think of working a race horse over a trotting track than one of our trainers of today would consider working his horses over an asphalt pavement. One who has not seen old time racing could not believe how slow the tracks were in Lexingtons racing days. "Then, too, thoroughbred horses were bred and trained to run four-mile heats aud no trainer ever tried to develop great bursts of speed. We were accustomed to leave extreme speed to the quarter horses, for they could beat the thoroughbreds at that game. "Lexington was meeting and beating the best horses of his day and generation: that is what the kings and queens of the turf have been doing ever since; thats what thev are doing now and thats what they will be doing to the end of time. It always has been, and always will be, pre-eminence that counts. Lexington was pre-eminent in his turf career and a large percentage of his sons and daughters were similarly successful, and today the blood of Lexington remains a potent factor to success on the turf. AT HIGH-WATER MARK BEFORE WAR. "In the old days before the war, racing was at high-water mark in the south. The jockey clubs of these days were organized and maintained purely for sport, and the gentlemen composing them did not care whether the public attended the races or not: but no one could get into the members enclosure except through introduction by a member. No non- mem tier could race a horse over the track of a jockey club unless a member would vouch for him and enter the horse in his, the members own nain:-. though the name of the owner would also upiicar as owner with the entry, on the race program. "The old Metairie Jockev Club of New Orleans, ami the Washington Jockey Club of Charleston, S. C.. were perhaps the most powerful and aristocratic-racing organizations of those days. The last mentioned club had a stand opposite the quarter post for the general public, where spectators were admitted at a dollar a head, but no one could pay his way into the club stand and enclosure which were open onlv to members, their families and invited guests. •■There were three regular racing circuits m the south in those old days. One started -at rah Orchard. Kv.. where they would begin? a six day meeting, racing Ttiesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturdav and the following Monday. This would be followed by similar six day meetings at Lexington and Louisville. Nashville, tenn.. Atlanta. Macon, Savannah and Augusta, lia., and Columbia, Charles ton ami Iineville. S. C. "Another -circuit of the same character would Ih;- gin at Richmond. Ya.. followed by Broad Rock. Va.. and wind up at Charleston. S. C. "Still another of these circuits would include Memphis. Tenn.. Natchez. Miss., New Orleans. La., and Mobile and Montgomery. Ala., hut most of the horses racing in the south would finally drift down to New Orleans late in autumn and there would be considerable racing down there until the following spring. "There was heavy betting in those days, but while it was assumed that every gentleman engaged in the sport was able to meet his obligations and he did none of them were purse-proud and nolwdy wanted to advertise himself as a plunger, so that when gentlemen bet heavily in the club house enclosure the outside world never was advised of it. "When Mr. Ten Broeck was in England I had it on unquestionable authoritv that he won not less than 00,000 on the victory of Prioress in the Ce-sareivitch. but the fact never was heralded abroad, for in those days such publicity would have been regarded as bad form. Taking into account that the purchasing power of a dollar was then much greater than it is now, thr.t was a rather nice sum to win. even on a big stake race." Referring to his connection with the turf after the war. Mr. Riley said: "Although I made rather good progress after going to New Orleans, having a stable of my own in 1S54-5 after having landed there only about two years earlier, my more important engagements were as a trainer, first for Mr. -Lorillard anil afterward for Mr. Withers. I was in Mr. Loriilards employ for only about two years, and that was lie-fore he achieved his greatest successes on the turf, beginning with old Parole. "While I was training for him. he raced James A., a brother to Parole and a good horse, though not at all the equal to the slender brown gelding that came into my hands as a yearling. Pierre Lorillard was buying most of his yearlings from Mr. Welch, of Chestnut Hill, in those days. The same autumn that he Iwtight Parole I quit his employ and went with Mr. Withers, who had just founded his Brookdale breeding farm. "Mr. Withers had only six or eight mares when 1 took charge, but he afterward made a splendid establishment of it. His importations of such valuable horses as King Ernest. Maccaroon and Stone henge did much for the horse breeding interest of this country, but it was as manager aud controlling own"r of Monmouth Parks, old and new. that he was most prominently and favorably known as a turfman of the old school and the best type. He always kept in mind that racing must he regarded as a sport, and not as a means of making money, and with this in view a regulation was introduced into the Monmouth Park organization by which all profits in excess of six per-cent. for the stock holders must be put back into the sport, either through the increase of purses and added moneys for the following years or in the form of i crman-ent track improvements. "This was in line with the custom of ante-bellum turfmen, and also iu line with the action of the gentlemen who. at no small financial risk, under took, in 1913, to restore racing in New York and Saratoga.
