Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-01-15
BUOO DOBLE'S IDEAS.

Budd DOble talked freely to-day on
the subject OF regulation and kite-shaped
tracks, says a Terre llaute, Ind, dis
patch. lie does not agree with the few
who think it is only Il fancied difference
between the kite and the regulation
tracks, nor with the larger number of
persons who think the kite track will
supersede the regulation track. Doble
thinks the straightaway track will never
be used, even for getting records.
"The difference between the kite-shap-
ed and regulation track said Mr.. Do
Bile. sis that in the former there is but
one turn, about third of mile, while
on the regulation track there are two
turns of a quarter of Il mile each, making
in all half mile. Now tracks are meas
ured for the mile three feet from the
pole, but Il horse never travels closer to
the pole than five feet. 1t is plain to See
therefore, that the horse on a kite track,
making the turn of IA third of mile
FIVE feet from the pole, has decided adj
vantage over the horse travelling half
mile on the turns of regular track.
"The kite track will not come into
general use for several reasons, cOntinu
ed Dobe. "First of all, persons who
make racing possible, and having paid
their money to see Il race will not be con-
tent with a glimpse of the horses as they
score down for the word, and are only
again seen as they flash under the wire.
On kite track in the long stretches it
is almost impossible to determine the
relative positions of the horses, and
whether they are on their stride. Then
another thing against the change is that
Cleveland, Lexington, Rochester, Terre
Haute, Buffalo, Philadelphia and score
of other prominent racing points have
invested large sums of money in regula-
ton tracks, built so the public may see
the racing, and it is beyond reason to
suppose these properties would be de-
stroyed and kite tracks substituted.
"lt is certain that some standard must
be fixed by the trotting associations, and
the most ruinous feature of the business,
the "tin-cup" record, must be stopped.
1t is unfair to both horse and driver. AS
an illustration, take the day during our
recent race meeting here, when | drove
Nancy Hanks against her record. The
track did not suit her, the weather was
raw, and the mare was not in any shape
for beating her record, but the event had
been extensively advertised, and in JUS
tice to the spectators had to start her.
Not so with these "tin-cup" performan-
ces. They are sent to track and some
evening when the wind has died down
and the conditions are favorable for a
fast mile, the horse takes his record, and
the fast mile goes against the race rec
ord of some game horse. 1t is not fair,
and perhaps the simplest solution of the
difficulty would be to count nothing but
race records.
"While the shape of the best regula-
ton tracks may not be identical, the
slight advantage one might have in shape
is offset by the better soil or footing of
another. AS to any differences between
the Cleveland, Chicago, Terre Haute,
Buffalo, Cambridge City, Richmond and
other tracks, | do not think they are
worth considering. should not be sur,
prised If the time would soon come when
only records made in races will count,
and when a distinction will be made be-
tween records on regulation and other
tracks"