The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-07
STARTING HORSES.
SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THIS IS
A DIFFICULT BUSINESS.

Countries of Short Dashes-Pop-
uiar Misunderstanding of Good and Fad
Starts.
Starting race horses is fine art, and
the man who fancies it ism t will never DO
convinced until he stands, flag in hand,
facing 10, 600 persons, and with dozen
or SO thoroughbreds, ridden by anxious
Jockeys, upon the track, each rider doing
his best to get an advantage over his
fellows. In 10 cases out of 20 it is not
the thoroughbred that is to blanc for
the trouble ut tho post, nor is it the
jockey directly, but it is the owner,
trainer or some Spectator i'll the back
ground who has told tho jockey to get
off i'll front, no matter what happens,
and who has promised to pay his fine or
reimburse him for any penalty he may
incur i'll carrying out Instructions 1t
is all very we'll to sit i'll the grand stand
and criticise the work of tho 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 i'll this country than
i'll England, France, Austria or Aus
tralia, where the pace is very slow at
tho start, and length or two advantage
when the flag falls does not count for
much. With us, and especially of late
years, since the system of short dashes
has become SO popular with horse own
ers, which, by the way, has had such
depressing influence OH the improve
mont of the blooded horse the style
has been to ride pcllmell from the st;ut,
and races are won and lost very frequent
~ when the flag falls. Judgment of
pace is fast becoming q 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 homo 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 ut the post when there
are 8 OF 20 horses, many of them rid
den by boys not 1G years of ago, all of
whom have been told-some of them
with threats and others with promises
of large rewards-to get the best of the
start Any visitor to our race tracks is
familiar with the scene at the post
Half dozen horses will rush away mt
false break when there is no possible
chance for an equitable start, and when
they come trotting back and before they
have 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
i'll their places This goes OH indefinite
ly.
The public is also familiar with the
sight of one or more horses standing
motlonless some lengths behind their
competitors. The starter asks the riders
OF tho horses i'll advance of the laggards
to wait until they have taken their po-
sltions. Each boy seems to think it is
his bounden duty to walk his horse
when those i'll the rear attempt to move
up at walk and to break away madly
if al attempt is made by those behind
to come up ut n run.
A starter should have q thorough
knowledge of racing, should I've q 1uan
of high degree of intelligence, be
quick of eye and hand and, above all,
be of unimpeachable integrity. The is
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 sec 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 tho
horses III motion and OH rs nearly even
terms as possible The eye must take
Ill the field i'll Il twinkling, and if the
Judgment is that the start is satisfacto-
~ the hand will act III unison with the
eye and the brain.
Very often horses are III bad places
and what might look to be good start
from the grand stand would be q poor
one III 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 on their feet than others and
will mako good start look like poor
one through their ability to get under
way much more rapidly than their com
pctitors. A good start when the flag
drops becomes to the unthinking and
Ignorant poor start and abuse is heap
cd upon the head of the official
From time to time mechanical appli-
anccs for starting race horses have been
invented, but they have not been prac-
teal and have not achieved success.
a swinging gate to be raised by clectrici-
ty was spoken of some time ago, but
fractions thoroughbrcds could not he
got near il. There are, again, horses
that arc not 10 be controlled at times,
and collisions with the obstacle would
undoubtedly be of daily occurrence.