206 The American thoroughbred 



utter my feeble protest against taking up big two-year-olds and racing them in January 

 and February, as is being done here in California. I can now see no real good in it 

 and I hope I never shall. 



Go over to Australia and you find that Grand Flaneur was never beaten but you 

 are also informed that he was not trained at two years old. Then take Chester, by the 

 same sire. He started 41 times, won 19 and was only four times outside the money. 

 He started three times at two years old, winning twice. Then take Melos, who won 

 the Sydney Derby and the Champion race of 1900. He was not trained at two. In 

 a race of one mile, either Carbine or Abercorn could beat him six lengths, but at three 

 miles he could bring either of them to the whip. Melos was not trained at two, 

 Carbine started four times and Abercorn five times, at that age. The day that Bravo 

 (by Grand Flaneur) won the Melbourne Cup I was coming down the stairs after the 

 race and two old gentlemen were talking about it, behind me. One of them said : 

 "Bravo's a good 'orse, especially when you consider 'ow 'ard he was raced at two 

 years." 



"Pardon the interruption," I asked, "but how often did they start him?" 



"Eight times, sir." 



"They wouldn't think much of that in America," I said. "Why I know of lots of 

 horses that have started twenty times and I know of one named Woodcutter that raced 

 forty-two times, last year." 



"Well, I don't like to be rude to Americans," said the elderly gentleman, "but I 

 must say you don't deserve to have a good horse in the whole of your blasted coun- 

 try." 



So far from getting angry at him I shook his hand warmly and told him he was 

 a man ;after my own heart. They have but one big two-year-old event in all the brdad 

 expanse of that country the Maribyrnong Plate. It has been run since 1868 and 

 Newminster (by the Marquis) is the only winner of it that ever achieved any subse- 

 quent greatness. 



What I want to see is an act of the legislature to prevent any and all racing of two- 

 year-olds in any one year, before the first day of June. After that make it with dis- 

 tances as follows : 



June 4^2 furlongs October 7 furlongs 



July 5 furlongs November 7^2 furlongs 



August 6 furlongs December i mile 



September 6^2 furlongs 



Provided that each track must give at least one race in each week at the distance 

 above named and but one at the June or July distance in each month. In this way 

 the crowding of big colts during the early spring may be easily avoided. In this mat- 

 ter I am disputed by Mr. James W. Brooks, manager of the Ascot Park track, who 

 says : 



"You talk about two-year-olds being injured by early racing on public tracks for 

 money. I tell you it is the least of two evils. Have them barred from racing during 

 the fore part of the season and their owners will be racing them at home on bad tracks, 

 with riders who cannot ride a little bit and with from ten to fifteen pounds more weight 

 than they would carry on 'i regular race track. Every man that breeds horses likes 

 to see them run ; and if he cannot race them at the public tracks for money, he will race 

 them at home and for fun." 



There is a great deal of truth in what Mr. Brooks says, and I admit that it is a 

 question to which there are plainly two sides. At the same time I could wish that 

 some man bad ingenuity enough to devise some way in which this cruel using-up of 

 good colts and fillies could be averted. Australia has the right way of handling this 



