The herald., 1894-08-26
STARTING HORSES.
SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THIS is
A DIFFICULT BUSINESS.

| Starts.
| Starting raoe horses is a ino.ars, and
The man who falaeiea it ism Swillnever be
ronvincsd until he stands, flag In hand,
facing 10, 900 persons, and with aSdozen
OF SO thoroughbrcass ridden ny'anxious
| jockeys, upon che tgaclS, each rider doing
his best to get On advantage over his
| fellows. In 10 cases cut Of go it isnpt
the thoroughbred that is 20 blame Tor
the trouble ct the post, nor is it the
Jockey directly, but it is the owner,
trainer or sorne spcculator ia tho back
ground who has told the jockey to get
off in front, no matter what happens,
and who has promised to pay his fine or
reimburse him for any penalty he may
incur in carrying out instructions. 1t
is all very well to sit in the grand stand
and criticise the work OF the starter
One must try the business himself to
appreciate its difficulties and its trials.
1t is much harder task to start race
horses as we race in this country than
in England, France, Austria or Aus
tralia, where the pace is very slow at
the start, and length or two advantage
when tho flag falls does not count for
much. With us, and especially of late
years. since the system of short dashes
has become go popular with horse own
ers, which, by the way, has had such a
depressing influence on the improve
mont Of the blooded horse, the style
has been to ride pellmell from the start,
and races are won and lost very frequent
ly when the flag falls Judgment of
pace is fast becoming lost art, and
even our best jockeys now, with very
rare exceptions, have no more idea of
race riding than to get away we'll and
take the shortest course home in the
quickest possible fashion. Consequently
every boy becomes imbued with the
idea that to win he must get off in
front.
The reader can easily picture to him
self the scene at the post when there
are Is or 90 horses many Of them rid
den by boys not 16 years of age, all of
whom have been told-some of them
with threats and others with promises
of large rewards-to get the best of tho
start. Any visitor to our race tracks is
familiar with the scene at the post.
Half a dozen horses will rush away at
false break when there is no possible
chance for an equitable start, and when
they come trotting back and before they
havo had time to wheel and get into
line those that remained behind the
first time will dash out. and run perhaps
hundred yards, leaving the first squad
in their places This goes on indefinite
ly.
The public is also familiar with the
sight Of one or more horses standing
motionless some lengths behind their
competitors. The starter asks the riders
Of the horses in advance Of the laggards
to wait until they have taken their po-
sitions. Each boy seems to think it is
his bounden duty to walk his horse
when those in the rear attempt to move
up at q walk and to break away madly
if an attempt is made by those behind
to como up at run.
A starter should have a thorough
knowledge of racing, should be man
Of high degree of intelligence, be
quick of eye and hand and, above all,
be Of unimpeachable integrity. Tho ie.
sue Of many thousands Of dollars, often
times hundreds of thousands of dollars,
is decided by the fall of his red flag,
and it is his duty to see that every
horse, no matter by whom he is owned,
has an equal chance when he leaves the
post. Every effort is made to catch the
horses in motion and on as nearly even
terms as possible The eye must take
in the field in a twinkling, and il the
Judgment is that the start is satisfacto-
ry the hand will act in unison with the
eye and the brain.
Very often horses are in bad places,
and what might look to be good start
from the grand stand would be poor
one in the judgment Of the starter, and
the flag does not fall. Criticism follows,
and generally it is of the harshest and
most unjust character Some horses are
quicker Oh their feet than others and
will make good start look like poor
one through their ability to get under
way much more rapidly than their COM
petitors. A good start when. the flag
drops becomes to the unthinking and
Ignorant poor start, and abuse is heap
ed upon the head of the official.
From time to time mechanical appli-
ances for starting race horses have been
invented, but they have not been prac-
tical and have not achieved success.
A swinging gate to be raised by electrici
ty was spoken Of some time ago, but
fractions thoroughbreds could not be
got near it, There are, again, horses
that are not to be controlled at times,
and collisions with the obstacle would
undoubtedly be of daily occurrence.
Then, too, it would take months of drill
ing to get horses to overcome the idea
that they were not going to run into
the gate. This and many other objee-
tions can be raised against this system.
A western inventor has patented gate
to be lowered before the horses while
they stand at the post, which may be
moved away from them at rapid rate
of speed by electric power, the barrier
moving onward and upward at the same
time. New York Sun.