The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-21

the measurement or the track, stretched
the tape across the proper finish line and
agreed to the position to be occupied by
the camera. The result of the picture
taken under these circumstances proved
to him conclusively that he had not run
the full distance on the day in question.
The lesson thus taught should not be lost
on race track managers. As equine con-
tests are now judged it is a matter Of Inn
possibility almost to say that in nose and
nose finishes the winning horse really gets
the verdict six times in ten. Ordinarily
there are two judges in the stand. The
presiding judge is supposed to stand in
such position that his right eye covers an
imaginary line running between the finish
post on the stand and black mark direct
ly opposite. From this coign of vantage
he places the winner ans second horse.
The other judge places the third horse.
In many cases even the spectators in the
stand behind the judges are not on the
same line OF vision with them, and conse-
ouently they do not see the end of the race
as the judges do. When, too, as is often
the case, the presiding judge is man adj
vanced in years, who cannot read news
paper without the aid of glasses, it would
be saying too much to declare that he al
WAYS judges a finish accurately. Sucl; a
conclusion is beyond the range of posi-.
bility.
The race track of the future should in
clude among its officials thoroughly COM
petent staff of photographers, who should
be supplied with every facility for photo
graphing the finishes, starts and important
intermediate points of each race. Given
e. SC for,
of race can be developed so as to be intel
ligible in three minutes. That is but a
short time to wait, and with such an aid
judges would always be able to give per-
fectly accurate decision in every race.
Starts should be photographed for the
reason that at present the starter is usually
the sole judge of the matter. If all the
starts were photographed, including the
breakaways, the plates would show not
only whether the starts were good ones,
but would aid wonderfully in telling
whether or not jockeys were trying to take
undue advantage, or whether they were
"monkeying" with their mounts for stra-
tegical or less laudable purposes. Pho
tographing the intermediate critical points
of a race would aid greatly in telling
whether or not jockeys rode true or
crooked. A jockey who knew that the in
corruptible eye of a camera was on him
five times in a mile race would feel very
much disinclined to purposely mismanage
his mount.
The starter, too, would know that his
unsupported statements would no longer
be taken as gospel truths. The Coney ISL
and Jockey club last season employed
photographer to take its finishes. Which
track will be the first to employ full staff
of photographers for the purposes above
described? The one that does will enjoy
public confidence such as has never before
been accorded a racing association and Il
tremendously increased patronage.
The cost of the Photographic staff and
equipment will be but a mere bagatelle in
comparison to the increased revenue the
association will derive from its use. 1t
can even be made source of revenue to
the association, for prints of the points of
the great races can be taken from the
negatives in large numbers, and horsemen
will buy them with avidfty as souvenirs of
the great turf events IN which they were
interested. j. B. MCCORMICK.