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Here and There on the Turf Statistical Lessons and De ¬ ductions ductionsSteady Steady Growth of Money Given GivenCase Case of Jockey Earl Pool From time to time it has been pointed out that a study of the statistics of racing offers convincing proof of how the turf has continued to thrive and prosper until 1922 was the mosf successful year in the history of racing on this continent The real revival and the real march to the crest wave began in 1920 and from that year there has been a steady advance in every department of racing and breeding breedingThis This success is well illustrated in the vast amount of money that has been distributed Last year on this continent with Cuba in ¬ cluded the distribution was 9096215 while the total for the past eighteen years amounted to 81559959 This gives an idea of the importance of thoroughbred horse production in this country for after all that is the be ¬ ginning of racing and the season that makes such returns possible possibleAn An analysis of the statistics will show that in 1905 the distribution was 5601557 The amount held up about that figure in 1906 1907 and 1908 when it dropped more than a million dollars That was when New York was be ¬ ginning to feel the persecution of illadvised laws In 1910 it dropped to less than 3000 000 and that was the year that the Coney Island Jockey Club closed its magnificent Sheepshead Bay track In both 1911 and 1912 there was no racing in New York and in consequence these two were lean years with the distribution well under 3000000 Al ¬ though New York resumed for a short racing season in 1913 and 1914 they were still lean years for the racing was conducted at a considerable loss and it was found necessary to suspend many of the stakes and reduce the value of others In 1916 there was an in ¬ crease until the total reached almost 4000 000 and in 1917 it went over that mark The totals dropped back slightly in 1918 but recovered in 1919 and have continued to climb to its present princely amount These figures have to do with the racing on this continent But what is probably of more real interest is the progress that has been made in the United States It is shown that since 1914 there has been distributed a total of 32757793 It is shown that from 586 8GO in 1914 New York grew to 1918286 in 1922 Kentucky from 525495 in 1914 to 1589675 in 1922 and Maryland in the same time from 413990 to 1349550 These are the three great racing sections and the table tends to show that turf prosperity has been general and has shown a steady and healthy growth in all sections where the horses have raced racedTaking Taking the nine years covered by these statistics and it is shown that during that time racing was conducted in twentysix states but not in all twentysix of them the same year Last year the returns are made from only ten states This money teaches a lesson concerning the vast importance of the turf in I this country but it teaches more It shows beyond argument the increased and increasing interest in the production of the thoroughbred horse His value as a national asset has been proved beyond argument argumentIt It is not so long ago that Kentucky Vir ¬ ginia and California were really the only blood horse sections There were gentleman breed ¬ ers in other sections but horses bred for the market in any quantity came from one of these three sections sectionsAt At that tune thoroughbred production was in the hands of a comparatively few men Now the breeding of thoroughbreds has spread and each year brings new breeders to the indus ¬ try The best horses obtainable are imported from England and France and brains and money have given the American thoroughbred a greater importance than it has ever pos ¬ sessed before It is not the money given that has attracted the best of these breeders but the attraction of producing the best horse has made the money offered possible possibleThere There was surprise when it was found nec ¬ essary to declare off some promised stake races at the Fair Grounds One reason that has been advanced for the attendance not being up to expectations was the gate charge of three dollars That may be the reason and as a matter of fact it is hard to obtain summer prices for winter racing no matter how ex ¬ cellent the racing may be Jockey Earl Pool has been lauded for his game riding in races when in no physical con ¬ dition to accept mounts While his gameness is not to be questioned it was a mistake to permit him to ride in his weakened condi ¬ tion That was a question that was up to the stewards of the meeting or the clerk of the scales If it was apparent that Pool had so weakened himself by reducing as to be un ¬ able to do his mount justice he should not have been permitted to pass the scales Both Kennmare and Chiva were beaten largely be ¬ cause of the fact that Pool was in no con ¬ dition to ride them with proper vigor and while it was a fine and game thing for him to do it was not fair to these horses or to those who supported them to permit him to ride That is an exhibition of gameness that goes for naught when after insisting on filling his engagements Pool failed to ride as he could if fit He cannot be blamed himself for insisting on riding after having gone through the agony of reducing but those who permitted him to ride must be blamed
