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Here and There on the Turf Greentree Stable Continues The Big Steeplechase Stakes Value Not Everything Racing and Railroads It is indeed good news to the turf that the Greentree Stable will carry on under the popular colors and with no change in the stable name This was a wish ex ¬ pressed by the late Payne Whitney to his charming wife but a few days before his sudden taking off offThe The mourning names were under dis ¬ cussion and Mr Whitney made it plain that he did not favor any such tribute of respect to a memory He argued sen ¬ sibly that everyone knew just where the horses belonged and he thought it was just a bit silly to change a stable name by reason of a bereavement Jn fact he exacted a promise from Mrs Whitney that should anything happen to him and there was no reason to believe that death would come so soon that she would carry on her stable colors and her stable name Thus it is that Mrs Whitney is carrying out the wishes of her mate when she has determined to carry on the colors and the name of her popular racing es ¬ tablishment tablishmentIt It is to be hoped that this sensible example will be followed by others who may meet with a bereavement There does not seem to be any good reason for death to be constantly reminded on the race course If mourners for the dead should desire to quit the turf as a re ¬ sult and there is no reason for that well and good but mourning colors and a changing of a stable name out of respect to a memory seems altogether uncalled for and Payne Whitney was eminently correct in the view he took and Mrs Whitney is to be complimented in carry ¬ ing out the wishes of that wonderful turfman This 35000 steeplechase that is being planned for the fall racing at Belmont Park cannot fail to do lasting good for cross country racing Such a value is a becoming reward for the turfmen who have been striving so valiantly to keep alive interest in that branch of racing Many of them have from time to time made important foreign purchases for racing in this country and the rewards have not been in keeping with these ex ¬ penditures pendituresIn In fact it is not recorded that the most successful steeplechase stable in this country was ever anything but a particu ¬ larly heavy expense There is not enough steeplechasing to enable a cross country stable to be conducted at other than a heavy expense and such a race will undoubtedly result in other turfmen de ¬ voting their attention to that branch of the turf so that there will necessarily come a greater demand for such racing and a demand that associations will doubtless fill fillIt It was first the generosity of Bayard Warren and some associates that made such a race possible when they pledged a value of 20000 To this the West chester Association has agreed to add another 15000 and thus the big event is assured assuredSuch Such a value for a crosscountryrace gives it an American importance equal to the importance of the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase Handicap as far as value is concerned and it is sure to bring out horses that will eventually give it a sporting importance in keeping with the value It would be calamitous indeed if all of the famous old American stake races merely became a battle of dollars It would be a sad state of affairs if the sporting value of these races was buried and forgotten just because some less worthy stake brought a richer reward The big races should at all times have big values There should be a value of fitting importance for a race that brought aspirants for the championship together but the sporting value should ever be greater than the dollars dollarsNo No race that only has the money appeal will give the horse a reputation that comes with the winning of the honored old races that have endured year after year No horse that is the best moneyearning thoroughbred of the year is to be compared with another that may have won less money but accom ¬ plished more in the character of the races that he won In thepresent craze for big values and the money bids of the various associations it is entirely pos ¬ sible that a horse many removes from a champion may become the best money earner of a year Unfortunately the weight of the money overbalances the sporting importance of many stakes at this time and the end is not yet yetMoney Money will always attract and it is natural that it should but money will never rob the old stakes races of their importance in building up the reputation of the thoroughbred There may come racing values of 100000 but the win ¬ ning of one of them will not compare in adding to the reputation of a colt that wins the Belmont Stakes the Kentucky Derby Preakness Stakes Lawrence Realization and various other of the old established fixtures These races still will retain a solid sporting im ¬ portance no matter how many races of a great value may come mainly for ad ¬ vertising purposes purposesBig Big values mean much to the thor ¬ oughbred industry and to racing but they must never come at the sacrifice of the fine old races that for generations have been the backbone of the sport sportProbably Probably much good will come out of the conference held with railroad heads by Joseph E Widener on Thursday It was pointed out that racing is a valuable patron of the railroads and a plea was made for better service both in the handling of racing crowds and the ship ¬ ment of horses horsesThe The importance of that business was clearly set forth by Mr Widener and he received every assurance that the rail ¬ roads were desirous of serving ade ¬ quately It was set forth that the running of special trains to a race like the Ken ¬ tucky Derby gave evidence of what rac ¬ ing meant to the roads and it was agreed that through the East there would be a special endeavor to give a service that would be of great benefit to the sport There was a fear that the death of Payne Whitney would prevent the show ¬ ing of the Harry Payne Whitney colors in the running of the Kentucky Oaks but it has been decided that Pandera will be sent to the post for that race as was originally intended This is a cause for congratulations for the presence of this queenly filly which already has the Pim lico Oaks to her credit adds greatly to the interest in the old Kentucky race The decision to send Pandera to Ken ¬ tucky for the running of this race is just in keeping with the wishes of Payne Whitney when he insisted that in the event of his death he did not want it to make any change in the racing plans of his family
