BABY RACING IN AMERICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2397, 8 February 1900, Page 40

BABY RACING IN AMERICA.

Mr Fiank R. Hitchcock, one of the American Jockey Club stewards, has announced his intention of offering an amendment to the Rules of Racing which will limit the early racing of two-year-olds. The rule will, at any rate, affect high-class two-year-olds, and, afler all, these are the only ones that require protection. The Sportsman's New Yoi'k correspondent says : There has undoubtedly been too much two-year-old racing in the country, and the result is the older division of racehorses are, as a rule, little better than selling platers. Of course, there aie exceptions, but the latter arc so few that they get no racing, and when they happened to be entered in a race, it is a walk over, viitually, even if there are two or three other starters fighting for the place money. The only way to account for this is that they arc all drummed to death as two-year-olds. Take the past season for an example. Mesmerist, the crack of the year, being a great, big. overgrown colt, fared better than Uoiial, and only started eight time.-'. C'hacornac, probably next beat, started but twioe, but that was on sccount of going wrong after winning the Futurity. Modrine started 14 times. Montanic 17, Maribert 14, David Garrick and Pupit eight each, King's Courier 12, Lieutenant Gibson 15, and several of inferior class to the above many times more. John Madden is one of the few men who believes in giving his two-year-olds an easy time. Ethelbert, the crack three-year-old of the season, only started six times as a two-year-old. Mr Hitchcock's amendment is as follows: — "Before June 1 in each year no two-year-old shall run in any race with more than lOOOdol added." Of course, at the first glance a rule like this may be considered detrimental to the associations holding early spring meetings, but after due reflection the contrary will be the result, for larger prizes will be offered for three-year-olds and upwards, and there will be some horses of class able to respond. As things stand now, a thoroughbred is almost valueless after his two-year-old cu-eer tmtil he enters the stud, and it is the exception to find one bring, no matter how much class he has shown, over 10,000dol at an auction sale. Several big slakes have already closed to be run off before June, so it is obvious it will take a year or two before the amendment, if adopted, can go into effect, but it is a very wise step in the right direction, and all well-wishers- of the turf hoi>e to see it established. It is also likely that a rule will be passed making it impossible to run off a dead heal if either of the horses be a two-year-old. This certainly should be done, for last season Frelinghuyse-n and Neponsel early in May ran off a dead heat for the Jamaica Stakes at Aqueduct, and neither of them has been any account since. In regard to insisting that "if either owner objects to running off a dead heat, the race shall be divided." this may not work so well, for owners of older horses shoiild have the privilege of running off a dead heat if they so desire. As an idea of how poorly the valuable stakes are divided among the various ages, last season there was but one all-aged stake, not counting handicaps, worth over 10,000dol to the winner. This was the Lawrence Realisation, which netted Perry Belmont, the owner of Ethelberfc, 12,890d01. Admiiation, VV. C Whitney's grand filly, won a special sweepstakes of 5000dol each, which was worth 10,005d01. The next best stake was the Belmont, which netted W. 0. Whituev, the owner of Jean Beraud, the winner, 9445d01. The stakes for the year throughout the country brought out 84 two-j"ear-old stake winners, 67 three-year-olds, 31 four-year-olds, and seven six-year-olds and upwards. The Western Turf Apsociation, located at Tanfovan Park, San Fiancisco, California, a new concern, is in the field with some valuable stakes to close December 30. The Western Produce Stakes, for two-year-olds, foals of 1900, i;j the most important, with 5000dol added.