, 1877-09-30
THE TURF,
II II 4 . lRI
TIE RARQS-GREAT EASTERN MATCH.

4 L IL IL l. luz
| THE RARUs-GREAT EASTERN MATCH,
| It apDears that the recent match at Fleet
wood Park between Rarus aud Great Eastern
the former going in harness, to.rule, and tn,
latter under saddle, catch weights, was a yer,
extraordinary affair." The ielegraphic accoun
merely stated that six heats were necessary be
fore the question of superiority could be dccid
ed and the time OF the first one, 2::333, was 81
slow that, not being in any manner explained
it caused people in this part Of tho country
to imagine that there was something Sunny
about the affair, especially as some
OF the heats were very fast, ths
third one being troted in 2:151, thu
fastest saddle time OIL record. Later auvices
! however, show that the race was at the mercy
OF Rarus all the time, Splan allowing Greer
to win two hlats and make 4 dead one merely
for the purpose Of improving the betting,
| which before the first heat was SlOO to $25 on
Rarus. 1t seems that III tho first heat Great
| Eastern broke batlly, owing to the dlsarrange
ment Of one OF his boots, and Rarus could easy
have double-1stanccd him, but Splan waited
| for the bay horse, beating him by half length
only in :33, The second heat was won by
Great Eastern, Rarus making several bad
breaks, in o:1S. In the third heat Great East
ern made 4 fine display, going to the quarter
pole i'll 80 seconds, the half in :05 and winning
| by five lengths in 2:15sl. Rarus was also
timed. and trotted the mile in 2:lG14, which Is
the fastest time III harness ever Enade over
| Fleetwood Park, although not record, being
| trottcd by horse that finished second. BY this
| time the hackers Of karus began to get angry
| Mt Span for not having shut out Great Eastern
| iu the first heat, wllic; he could easily have
done, and ended the race, and their feelings
were not improved when tho next heat proved
to he IL dc: unc, III ::lSa<. BY this time Great
! Eastern w:ls pumped out, and RIr.s had no
trouble In winn.ny the next two heats and race
III 2:a1, 3:227l5.
The whole affair was interesting only as DEM
! onstrating how Rarus conll ulays with one Of
tho best horses In the country, and win when he
| cluse.
There las been great deal Of discussion in
I turf AMI bctting cir>ic> lately over point
| brought up By all ncci,;en. which occurred to
! the trottins mare Adc1aiuc during the meeting
! at Rochester in August last THIS mare WIS
entered in the 221 race, and, as she was known
I to be a dangerous competitor for it, a consider
able amount OF money was Invested in pools on
her. The horses came Oh TO the the track 1T
the appointed time, aud began soaring for the
first heat. On the fifth attempt Adelaide became
frightened, ran away with lIer driver, aud sus-
tanned such severe injuries that it was i1npussi-
biz for her to continue III the race; inslee.i, she
Has mol Yet lully recovered Tram tncnl. iis
view of III. 1act that III heat lad
been trotted, and the word for
a start not given, the hackers Ut
Adelaide claimed that they were entitled to
draw their money from the lDol-bny ON tile
ground that, rs the mare never hatl i cllaucc to
win the race, it was contrary to turf rules and
usages that their bets should stand. Those who
had bet against the mare held that the race had
commenced ut the time she injured herself. ill
though the word llnd not been given, and TINT
vail fatS IRA
had been p. p. The judges of the race took this
view OF the matter, and the pools were pail.
The matter is now being vigorously discussed
by the leading sporting papers, the point upon
does r1lee begin! One side claims that after
the drivers Of the various horses have
been weighed, drawn their positions for
the first heat, and gone up the stretch
to score, the contest shall pc deemed t9 have
begun. They argue that alter these prelitnina-
ries nave been attended to the Judges have full
authority over the horses, and that therefore
the rac. is III progress, even though tic word
t'Go - has not been uttered. This is a rcason-
able view Of the case. aud is supported BY prece-
dent, although unfort unatcly, in the rulesof the
National Association there is none which states
wien Il race shall be considered to have been
begun. According tu the rules Of the English
Jockey Club, the money on Adelaide would
hare stood, and, as those Of the American turf
are modelled upon them, it is argued that
their spirit should be followed i'll the
decision OF all points for which pro- |
vi5ion has v9;an,, not been made % IN s tue
of tie Times and TMrf: Field, aud Farm have |
both devoted considerable space to the matter,
but, as is usual when these papers enter into !
discussion Of any subject, tncir articles have
been mostly devoted to abuse Of each other !
III fact, there is little room tor argument. If the
English rules are to he followed, the race had |
begun when Adelaide met with the accident
that caused her to be drawu; if they are to be j
ignored, nothing is settled. In any event, the |
matter will doubtless cause tho adoption by the
National Association Of 4 rule which will state
distinctly: just when race shall be considered
to have begun.
SUPPRESSION OF TIME.
In any rub1ic race, il there shall he any 1ntcn-
tonal suppression or Misrepresentation 10 either
the record Or the announcement OF the time OF any
heat in the race. procured through any connirance
tween the proprietor and Judges or timers and the
cwncr Of the winning horse or his driver or other
authorized agent: it shall be deemed fraudulent.
And any horse " inning such h"ct, or making
dead heat wherein there was such ! fraudulent sup
preston Of time, tozether with the parties, itnp-
Gated the fraud shall by operation Of the rules
be lenceforth expelled
The abore is the language of Rule II, of the
National Association, and it is probable that no
enactment Of that body is violated SO often and
so boldly as this one. OF course, on tracks be- |
longing to the National Association, sup
preston of time is not allowed nor thought Of,
but at the County and State Fairs it is conl-
mon occurrence, especially in the ease oil horses
with 10 record. or a very slow one Tnc purses
hung up ut such gatherings are not OF sufficient
value to warrant the owner Of good green
horse in entering for them, provided record is
to be obtained, and. consequently, 1t is Gus
tomary for the Judges to announce that
~ wins this l1eat7'' simply; NO statement OF
t11e time being made. Horses that have tTottcd
many race under such circums, ances have Al
lei wards taken part in slow r1ces on ASSOCIATION
tracks without being u,o]ested. uorseHen
themselves are not very apt to com plain OF each
other, as nearly all Of them are IN the same boat,
ind OF course it is not to the interest oil out
;idrrs to raise fuss. At the recent State Fair
1t st. Louis, race was trotsel where it was cx-
orcss1y stipulated bv the drivers OF the horses
engaged that no time should be announced.
This was stated in one of the ST. Louis daily
11ncrs autl now an Eastern sporting journal is
making terrible howl and demanding that
Ill the uarties. to the arrangement be made
n feel tic force Of the rule above quoted 1t l
IRIS rs if q similar case had never come under
Is notice, so violent is its dcnunciation Of the
natter. Oi course this display Of yirtuous in
licuation is all right, but If thu sporting journal
links that anv good will result from its re-
marks, it is mistaken. Tnc rule was meant to
,heck the practice Of suppressing time On rcg,l-
ar truttiug-tracks. but the little ring exhibitions
Il speed at County Fairs can hardly be called
aces, If the National Association chooses to |
axe ND the st. Louis matter, and put the rule
n force as regards the parties interested there
F,,,f II