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HISTORICAL WORK OF ART Henry Stulls "Ingleside Cracks" to Be Principal Painting in Tanforan Clubhouse. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal.. December 30. The principal painting in the gallery to be installed in the clubhouse at the new Tanforan course will be Henry Stulls "Ingle-side Cracks," executed as long ago as 1S96 when the track in San Francisco County was flourishing. It is a fine work of art in itself and, in addition, has historical value, as it shows horses of all the prominent owners of the time with noted jockeys on their backs. When painted the colorful composition was a familiar one. It was owned at one time by the late Thomas Williams. When the sport was stopped by adverse legislation, the picture passed to new ownerslrip. Lately it was "discovered" in Emeryville by racing manager Robert F. Leighton, of the Pacific Coast Jockey Club. Through the agency of Mr. Leighton the painting was purchased by Rudolph Sprec-kels, vice-president of the Tanforan organization. By a happy thought Mr. Spreckels kept the "secret" of the finding of the picture from his brother, A. B. Spreckels, president of the Jockey Club here, and at Christmas gave it to him as a present. One of the horses shown in the painting is A. B. Spreckels Gallant, with the familiar colors of the Napa breeaer up, so the holiday gift came as a very welcome surprise. The thoroughbreds in the painting, twelve in number, are spread out on a race course at full gallop, in a fan-shape manner, that gives almost a perfect view of the conformation, coat, color and silks of each member of the group. The legs of the runners are not altogether "according to Hoyle," or as should be said in this case, Muybridge, the first man to make a study of the action of animals writh a battery of cameras. Green B. Morris Star Ruby comes the nearest to being painted the way a horse really gathers his legs. Most of the thoroughbreds are shown in the old English style of front legs thrust out in front and hind legs far Hung to the rear. Muybridges pictures, real precursors of the movies, have the horses at one part of the leap somewhat as depicted by Stull. ,4s "Bob" Leighton puts it, the artist exercised quite a bit of license in the length of the horses legs, their component parts and in the way of going. Stull was awaro of the true action of a thoroughbred, a3 Muybridge made his experiments in 1S77, first at Sacramento and later at the late Senator Leland Stanfords Palo Alto Stock Farm. Some liberty was take,n also in the stylo of riding of the jockeys. Henry Griffin, Tod Sloan and others. In fact, nearly all of tho saddle stars used the short stirrup leather at the time the picture was painted. Probably Marty Bergen was the only rider hereabouts-using the long stirrup leather and sitting.- up straight as though out for a spin in the- park. The artist undoubtedly decided the modern crouch was not a fit subject "for Immortality on canvas, so gave all the jockeys a good firm seat, long stirrups and quito erect posture.
