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Sporting Spirit and "Class" By w. s. yosimiigii "Hartington has been obliged to go to Newmarket to ascertain whether one quad-raped can run a little faster than another." wrote the late Lord Salisbury to a colleague, lamenting the inconvenience it caused, preventing a division of the House of Lords. It was difficult for the non-sporting Salisbury to appreciate the sporting spirit which possesses some men ; the trout-fisher, standing up to his middle in a chill stream : the gunner, lying hours in a battery for the dainty canvas-back ; the cockfighter, lying full length to watch his champions action ; the fox hunter, charging across country in the chase at the peril of his life ; or the racing man, who, for his love of a trial gallop, will forsake business or political duty, even if it involves a parliamentary division. Lord Salisbury may not have been an iconoclast, but his conception of a great horse only as "a quadruped, * or of racing itself, if applied to all affairs of life, could be summed up to read "Whats the use of anything in life?" When men become interested in any diversion, they invest it with an interest which other people cannot understand. Thus the sporting spirit in racing: to those possessing it, and who breed and maintain stables of race horses, to win a great race is as important as winning a great battle is to a general. THK SPORTING SPIRIT. That sporting spirit ! Are we drifting away from it? Is the "prosperity of racing." of which we hear so much, is it healthful ; will it be lasting? Race horses are railroaded up and down the country in quest of rich purses, like privateers sailing the high seas in search of prize-money ; race meetings of great duration are springing up like mushrooms; racing continues the year-round; the importance of races is measured by their monetary value ; the profits of meetings are exploited in a manner far from prudent ; prizes of value "beyond the dreams of avarice" are being offered for races; nearly all we read of racing is propaganda or disguised advertising of race meetings: "future books" are reported where none really exist, but are a mere part of the propaganda. The situation is not unlike that of a few years since when prodigality and propaganda precipitated a crisis that discretion might have averted. Ret us turn to a more cheerful subject. The racing season of 1926 soon to open promises well so far as the events for three-year-olds aro concerned —better than for several years past. Rut in tho class of "three-year-olds and upward" it is hardly as flattering. The excessive racing of two-year-olds lias for several years had its effect in leaving few horses of class in training when they have passed their three-year-old season. Indeed, a majority do not go through even that season. The consequence is four- and five-year-olds of merit are rare, and are becoming more so as season succeeds season. Many of those that survive do so from the fact that they do not possess enough speed to injure themselves. SARAZEIf SUPREME AT A MILE. At a mile, Sarazen seems able to hold all the class quite safe. Over longer distances, with a strong pace all the way, it is another matter. At a moderate pace he could win at greater distances, but such races are seldom run nowadays. Resides, he is not reliable, showing an evil temper at times. He is very light-topped — a mere racing machine, with an evident delicacy of constitation that a hard race seems to upset. While his speed j is unquestioned, he is not the type of a great i race, horse, and if he were not a gelding, it J is doubtful if he would be anything like as good as he is. His best races were when he | had an outside position at the start, no matter how large the field. He likes to lead Ike pace, but he disliked starting from the inside position Xo. 1, and, unless the field is very small, he will not try, as he acts as if he fancies he will be shut in on the rails. American Flags performances, while few, were of such a character as to mark 1925 as "his year" in the three-year-old calendar. Silver Fox seemed, early in the year, to be the second best colt, and he it was that gave American Flag the only approach to a contest in the race for the Withers Stakes. The Belmont Stakes, which followed, was only a big gallop for American Flag, and indicated that he was the only stayer among last years three-year-olds. Yet we have heard it said that he never beat a good colt and that his rank in the all-aged class is doubtful. Last spring Mr. Tompkins had American Flag and Whetstone put together for a rough | gallop. He reasoned that Whetstone being I defined as "a stone for sharpening edged I tools " was the proper trying tackle to sharpen the "edged tool" he thought he had in the colt. American Flag had 127 pounds up; the filly, a four-year-old, 107 pounds. It was asking a lot of the colt, but he won. For the Hrookdale Handicap, at Aqueduct, Whetstone, 107 pounds, defeated Mad Ilay, 130 I pounds, by a nose after a tremendous set-to, land Mr. Tompkins chuckled as he thought. j Now I know the handicap form to a pound." Kstimatcs should be made on public form. but. through the line of Whetstone, the j Brookdale Handicap made the three-year-old | American Flag at level weights with the I four-year-old Mad Ilay— which is something beyond the average rating of a three-year-! Id, and Mad Ilay was the best of the year j la the all-aged class. Mr. Tompkins said I American Flag was only twice asked to ex-[ lend himself; once from the three-eighths post at Iimlico with K!0 pounds in ::»4. and | again at Saratoga from the seven-eighths post, when he did the first furlong in :U. | the quarter in :2" and the distance in ::;:".-,. I Admiral Crayson and William Martin timed | him. NOT A "HAI HOItSK." It has been the habit to jeer at Silver Fox pretensions. He may not be a first-rater, but he is far from being the "bad horse" people call him. llo had a severe campaign twenty-three races, and raced distances beyond his limit. His race for the j Withers Stakes was excellent, his Carter I Handicap was not a bad performance, nor | was that for the Cincinnati Derby. He is, apparently, a colt of good constitution, and evidently "a good doer" ; but he is inclined at times to sulk — and small wonder when it is recalled that he was raced so hard that by autumn he had lost his speed. Dig Rlaze and Single Foot class very closely. Single Foot is the more reliable, but at the end of a mile both are running with their mouths open. Joy Smoke fairly won his place in the select circle by his fine racing after his return from Canada. King Xadi is a newcomer in eastern racing, and his western form late in the year makes him a force to be considered. Hallucination and Son of John showed high form, but have not been seen for a long time. Whether Sun Flag will train is a question. Prince of Bourbon, a very handsome animal, has yet to show the form in public that he did in private, and Wilderness, except in heavy ground, will hardly repeat his form at three years old. More can be expected of his sta-blemate. Senalado, an exceedingly good colt at all distances. Conde won four races in Kngland last year, beating large fields. To sum up: Sarazen at a mile and a trifle over and Mad Play beyond that on "past performances" outclass the others. PATROONS RARE NIEEII. The speediest horse I saw last season was Patroon, a colt of Mr. John Sanfords. In a race during the last week at Saratoga, eleven went to the post. Patroon had the outside position. When the field broke. Patroon shot like a rocket to the front and soon had some ten lengths lead. "That colt beat the barrier," exclaimed several people. "Xo; its a false start Cassidy will call them back," said others. But no; the field swept on, Patroon leaving them at every stride. As he led to the stretch, he had a dozen lengths of lead. Then Maiben eased him and he came in five or six lengths in front. Many thought Cassidy would go to the stewards and claim he had not started them. Rut Cassidy made no report, Mr. Potter, official at the start, was asked if Patroon had beaten the barrier. "No," he replied, with a look of astonishment. "Wasnt Mr. Sanfords colt far ahead when the barrier rose" he was asked, and again he replied in the negative. Patroons speed was proved as great as it had appeared. The colt galloped the first three-quarters in 1:11% and the seven-eighths in 1 :24%. The half-mile was a record. How much faster the colt could have galloped the three-quarters it is not easy to say, as Maiben had taken hold of him before that. Mr. Sanford was. later on, felicitated upon Patroons speed ; but, as usual, he seemed to appreciate his pedigree more than his performance for. with his usual composure, he only answered, "Yes, you see hes by Diadumenos son of Orby, from Hemlock, by Spearmint."
