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TRAINERS LIFE NO PATH OF ROSES Many Cares and Responsibilities His Daily Portion Often the Target of Unjuct Criticism. The cvery-day life of the successful trainer is hedged around with manv unusual occurrences and demands, writes Charles" E. Brossman. Anxieties, cares, responsibilities and difficulties are oft times his portion when the thoughtless public imagines lie is only waiting for the dav to comq when a big stake is to be contested for and the band will play some approriate syninhonv in tribute to the grandly-bred equine wonder in liis charge which is certain to win the great race according to the reports of all the sporting writers, liandicappers, dockers and railbirds, and it is all over but the shouting and collecting the money. Usually the trainer has an abundant supply of faith and is liberally endowed with optimism, but some little tiling may happen just before the lace, or in the nice, or some horse may drop V"1 of the clouds hitherto unsuspected of possessing great speed and win on its merits, to prevent his horse from winning, as everyone confidently expected it would. The trainer will then be blamed by some of the wiseacres for overtraining, by others for not having worked the horse enough, and still others will intimate that there was an ulterior motive, and that it was not intended that the horse should win at all. So the poor trainer is condemned on all sides and is made vividly aware that nothing succeeds like success. In no other business does a comparative stranger seek, to obtain information that must be considered private and reserved for the owner that amounts almost to an-impertinence, certainly it often is a great annoyance. Ovorzealous turf information dispensers assume the authority to intrude and pass judgment in matters in which they have no interest and ovei which they can have no control. No one would think for an instant of walking into an office or store of a business man or merchant and asking such searching personal questions regarding his business affairs as is frequently asked by responsible people of any good trainer of a prominent stable. PUBLIC ENTITLED TO INFORMATION. The public is entitled to know all about the work on a public race track, and it is a debatable question whether or not it would be better for the different racing associations to employ a couple of expert "dockers," at a good salary, to record and publish on a bulletin board, every day, the mornings work of all horses engaged in racing upon that track. Then the newspapers or whoever was interested or desired could copy the work and the racing public could be correctly informed without any misrepresentation. More people would thereby become interested in watching the work-outs ol famous horses and the veil of secrecy would be in a manner lifted. The plan seems to be worthy ot consideration and deserving of a trial. Anyone, of course, if lie be. of such character a to be admitted upon the ground at all, lias a perfect right to time any other mans horse on a public race track, and the public should be encouraged tc come out and see the horses work out in the morning, for it must always be remembered that If it were not for the public approval and patronage there would be no race tracks any place. The race track is the great outdoor recreation ground for all, old and young, rich and poor, strong and weak. All find enjoyment in the health-giving, open-air entertainment. What occurs on any public race track belongs to the public, but what happens in tin stable after a fast work-out, amount of feed relished by the horse, general condition, weight carried in the trial, etc., belongs to the trainer and owner, and to them exclusively, the same as the private business of any mercantile firm. The great trouble has been that certain persons, in order to verify their own judgment and to assume a superior knowledge in all things connected with racing, ostentatiously attribute some sinister motive to the trainer every time a good horse, oi rather the" one that they had their clentele bet on is beaten. It is the persons who are always goin;. around crying fraud and trying to get down a bet on a "sure tiling today because it is all fixed," that cause a lot of trouble and are objectionable. The judges in the stand are experienced, capable men, paid liberally and will protect the public ant give each horseman an equal chance; therefore, there is no foundation in fact for most of the sensational stories that are passed on to the gullible and credulous as a salve to satisfy the hopes of foolish and disappointed men. Owners will often times expect too much from their stable, simply because the horses are well bred and cost extravagantly as yearlings. The public, too, will remember the high-priced, good-looking ones, and if success is not instant will suggest that the owners should change trainers, although then-may not be a horse of any value in the stable. It doesnt make any difference what they cost or how they are bred, it is what they can do that counts. Public opinion reacts on. the wavering minds of owners, and as a result of ignorance and the caprice of others the fidelity of the trainer is suspected for no other reason than because he has been unable to realize expectations, baseless as the fabric of a dream.
