Title: Breeder and sportsman
Identifier: breedersportsman31883sanf (find matches)
Year: 1882 (1880s)
Authors:
Subjects: Horses
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : (s. n. )
Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
'
Text Appearing After Image:
FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, NOV. In the Referee, London, it is seldom that much space is given to trotting. There is little worthy of the name in Eng- land, and as a general rule little attention is paid to what is £,oing on in this country. From the issue of October 21st we cut the following paragraphs, showing how the great match between St. Julien and Jay-Eye-See is regarded by "Pendragon." He is wrong, however, in thinking that American writers of any prominence agree that the "National pastime is falling into nothingness," as every year shows a constant augmentation in the number of trotting races and the amounts given in purses. There has been fully as great an increase in racing, though thatis restricted to fewer places> while there is scarcely a village from California to Maine that is without a trotting tract: Those American writers who are constantly endeavoring to show that trotting as a national pastime is fading into noth- ingness, and that galloping is rapidly taking the grand posi- tion once held by trotting, seem to be in bad case at present. An amount of enthusiasm has been recently shown over a race between Jay-Eye-See and St. Julien which completely bursts up all idea that trotting has fallen off in public estima- tion. The race took place at the Gentlemen's Driving Park, Morrisania, New York, on the 29th ult., and was said to be forapurseof $5,000. As the takings at the gate were estimated to be at least $20,000, the promoters of the contest must have made a very pretty penny out of their confidence in the American public's continued belief in trotting. St Julien, readers of the Referee may reme»ber as two or three years ago dividing the honors of the track with Maud S—now the peerless and the incomparable, and the various other agree- able adjectives which winners always are, while they keep on winning. St. Julien has covered a mile in 2:11J a pace which would have been considered something more than a phenomenal had it not been beaten a second by Maud S, who still holds the best on record—210; He is a full-sized horse, of good shape and make, and was expected to do still better things than he has done. During the past couple of seasons nothing has been heard of him on this side, and so it was with astonishment lovers of trotting learnt about his coming out to run a match against Jay-Eye-See, the latest development in wonders. Jay-Eye-See is a much younger horse than St. Julien. He is only five years old—an age at which, until recently, it was imagined trotters could not show in anything like their best form. He is also much smaller than the general run of first- class horses. Although no exact measurement of him is given, I should judge, by the remarks made as to the com- parison between him and St. Julien as they were running, that he would not be more than 15 hands, even if he stands as high as that. The race was to be run in heats, the best of five to be returned the winner. At first St. Julien was made a hot favorite, his price at the pools being $100 to Jay-Eye- See's $50, or, as we should call it in this country, 2 to 1 on. The weather had been very wet all night, and for some time there was a doubt about the horses starting; but a break in the clouds showed itself at last, and the track was, if not as good as it might be, certainly very much better than any trot- ting track ever seen in England. I believe I am right in say- ing that good drainage is one of the chief advantages of Amer- ican trotting tracks; this being so, it is foolish to talk of the Gentlemen's Driving Track at Morrisania having been un- duly heavy on the occasion of Jay-Eye-See and St. Julien. meeting. Early in the day it was stated that Mr. Case—Jay- Eye-See's owner—had determined not to allow his animal to start, owing to the danger of his slipping up; but it having been shown to him that there was no fear of anything of the sort, and that the softness would be to the advantage of Jay- Eye-See, Mr. Case consented to the match going on. At half past three the horses were called, and St. Julien took the inside position which had been secured for him by his trainer. Although these tracks are a mile in circumfer- ence, the inside position must be an undoubted advantage, and as St. Julien was seen to be going apparently as well as ever, the odds on him increased perceptibly. St. Julien's great form was always shown during the first half mile. Some while ago it was computed that if he could continue a mile at anything like the pace shown by him during the first part of it, he would make a show of Maud S. and her record. Therefore, it was supposed that he would take Jay-Eye-See, whose form is staying.away at such a pace as would compel the little horse to break up. To the dismay of those who had backed the big horse on this countit was seen that though he was doing all he could do for the half distance, Jay-Eye-See was keep- ing well up with him. The inside position gave St. Julien an advantage at the turns, but it was noticed that whenever Jay-Eye-See cared to go up, as though for a feeler, he would do so, and then fall back half a length or so, that, do what St. Julien would, he could not shake off his adversary, who was going with a very even gait, and without a suspicion of lifting. The first quarter was covered in 33 seconds. "In the straight and descending work of the second quarter the clip was still faster, so much so that the half was passed in 1:05$, and here so even were they that the big horse entirely obscured the little one from the sight of the spectators." After this Jay-Eye-See let St. Julien go on a bit, and he led by nearly a length of daylight during one portion of the third quarter, but they were level again at the eud of it. Time, \-A2h. For the last quarter of a mile the pace was wretchedly slow for two such cracks. Both drivers appeared to be watching each other, and to be saving themselves so as to make a final effort for the wire. What St. Julien might have done under ordinary circumstances cannot be said, but the finish was a sort of diamond cut diamond. The horse who had started forth to make his opponent break broke himself just before he got home, and though he finished in front the judges decided that Jay-Eye-See was the winner. The time was 2:20^. The second and third races were but a repetition of the first. Although odds were for a time betted on St. Julien, even after his defeat, a revulsion soon set in, and Jay-Eye- See started a warm favorite for the second heat, the price being $100 of Jay-Eye-See for S70 of St. Julien. Jay-Eye- See justified these odds by holding St Julien at his pleasure, and eventually winning by a length in 2:18i. For the third and, as it turned out, the deciding heat, 4 to 1 was freely offered on the previous winner, who made a complete show of St. Julien, and won by five lengths, Id 2:19. A good deal of disappointment was subsequently expressed at nothing in the way of very fast time having been shown in the course of these contests. All sorts of reasons have been given for the failure to get anywhere near either horse's previous best, but the real reason has, to my thinking, been entirely omitted. I fancy it is to be found in the difference which always exists in a race against time as compared with a race against another biped or quadruped. Although they may not have known it, both of these drivers were much more interested in beating one another than in beating the watch. As the finish of the first race shows, the natural de- sire not to throw away a chance until the final burstforhome was made, had a most detrimental effect upon the time re- sult. Had either Jay-Eye-See or St. Julien been out merely with a view of beating record, he would have kept steadily on during the last quarter, but here the circumstances were al- together different. Neither men nor horses ever will run one against another as they run in time trials. No one in a race cares to throw away a chance by making the pace too soon, for fear of allowing an opponent to come up at the fin- ish. The driver of St. Julien knew the weakness of his horse during the last quarter, and endeavored to nurse him all the way home, while Jay-Eye-See's driver, on the other hand, knew he had the foot of his antagonist, and did not care, with the knowledge that there were still more heats to come, to unduly press his champion. I think it is very likely that if trotting races in America had been always one trotter against another, instead of the best of their year or kind go- ing against the watch for a big money prize, such records as 2:10), already obtained, would never have been heard of. This is well worth considering, as it offers still another rea- son why the time test, as applied to our own horse-races, is utterly fallacious, and leads often enough to the very best horses that ever showed upon the turf being credited, or rather discredited, with records which could be easily beaten, if they have not already been easily beaten, by the common- est cattle. and third races were but a repetition of the first. There is another queer phrase, "going with a very even gait without a suspicion of lifting/' This must be the English for break- ing, and though singular is not altogether inapplicable. In giving so much space to an American trotting race in a paper which is usually silent is regard to trotting, it is evident that notable contests of any kind are always interesting. There is little doubt that the trotting tracks in England are far inferior to those which would be called slow here; that the Gentlemen's Driving Park was slow at that time is beyond question. It must be borne in mind that there is a vast dif- ference between running and trotting in estimating the allow- ance that must be made for moisture or heaviness. The drag of the wheels on either is a serious drawback, and a course in the best order for racing will present obstacles in the mak- ing of time in harness. No matter how perfect the drainage, a rain of any magnitude the night before will add seconds to the rate. That is, when the soil i? not light sand, in which case the soaking would be beneficial. It will be noticed that the idea of heat racing is now vague in the English mind, as the account states that "the second Pendragon does not realize the importance of "time" in trotting raees, or the bearing that trials have in fixing the standing. In the race he comments upon the horse which had the fastest record won, and so far the main classification in the aged division is fixed upon the record. It is, of course, beyond controversy that trials are uncertain, and that some horses that show well in private, perform poorly in a race, and, again, there are others that'require the stimulus of a crowd of spectators and active competition to bring out their full powers. There is another reason why the "time test" has greater weight in deciding the merit of both racers and trotters here than in England. That is,the uniformity of the courses in this country, while in England scarcely two have the same features. Here they are nearly level, and a ten foot difference in the highest and lowest points is un. usual. Then from being of a form that requires a circuit to be made, there is just as much downhill as up, and if the de- scending grade is from the half-mile pole to the finish there is little differencs between that and a level course for making time. Another thing that adds to the uniformity is that they are kept nearly in the same manner, and on the best tracks of the country, if the soil is not of the very best kind a top covering is put on. At the annual meeting of the State Dairymen's Association held Oct. 31, the attendance was so meager that it was re- solved to call a general meeting of all interested in dairy matters at Grangers Hall, No. 40 California street, in this city, Nov. 23, at 10 o'clock a. m. The object of this assembly is thus stated in the circular of the Association: The occasion for the meeting is the imperative need of tak- ing steps to secure the enforcement of the law regulating the sale of bogus butter or oleomargarine. In spite of the legis- lative enactment of last winter, this fraudulent material is still being sold as the genuine product of the dairy. The no- tices required by law in all places where oleomargarine is sold have not been posted up, and the traffic is going on to the injury of the legitimate dairy interest, because the of- fenders perceive that they can pursue such a course without being called to account. The dairymen must take steps to secure the enforcement of the law. This can only be done by a union and association of those whose interests are en- croached upon and imperiled. Therefore all such persons are urgently requested to attend the meeting in this city on the 23d of Nov. ♦ The New York Spirit notes that Cyrus Holloway, who rode for E. J. Baldwin in 1881, has been engaged for next season and is on his way "West. Cyms has had a dozen years'ex- perience in the saddle in this country, having come over with Buckden and Glen Athol, under engagement to ride for Mr. Cameron, in 1871. It was in the "ruby and blue sleeves" of the late Mr. Clabaugh that he first came popularly known, and his finish on Cloverbrook for the Belmont Stakes of 1877, was one of the most determined bits of horsemanship we have ever witnessed. Piccolo, Galway, Oden, Catoctin, and many others of the Maryland division answered his whip in the Clabaugh era. The death of his old friend and employer gave him an engagement in the Preakness stable, in which he has not been so successful, but be had the honor to steer Glenmore in his great Coney Island Cup victory over Moni- tor, Parole, and Luke Blackburn, and again, Bnsl; when the latter defeated Glenmore for the Great I Stakes of 1SS2. Cyrus is one of the most genr popular "stars" in the pigskin firmament.

Note About Images