New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-17
ECHOES OF THE HANDICAP.
TUE STARTER NOT FREE FROM FAULT
or,soNs WHY cLIFroRD's JOCKEY AND JAMES
ROWE. THE STARTER DESERVE
cFVF,RE CENSTRE

which ATTENDED, lIe Stdit VI thc AiNS'-
~. Handicap. It is not at all a pleasant thing 70
~" ,, ,bat the favorite for the $4,000 race, the
,. r,bcb thousands OF racing men in ali parts OF
w. ou,t-v believe to be to-day the best horse or
" age in training In America should have had no
..,oe whatever because of the fault OF MS rider
"a Of the starter. Both starters and jockeys are
o." or, On this country the most generous and even
p par scale It Is generally reported that
81 e. pove the official starter of the New Jockey
80 ,vho has been the starter OF the principal East
- racing organizations since James +. caldwell
sor.ed the reputable racecourses preferrnS 10
,.n his fortunes to those of the Guttenourg ganB
! O salary Of 500 per race-day. Now that Is
.'.rv generous compensation. and surely starter
49, ests 500 per day ought to keep his wits and
,,,iss about him sufficiently to prevent the leav-
49,, a, the post Of the most popular and important
~arss entered in a great race.
RI many thousands of hackers Of Clifford in all
-. ~ the United States have Just and legitimate
r,svance Of the strongest sort against Mr. Rowe
O. .,or,e- and against Martin the jockey. IL Is
tne mt that both must have been careless. or CEf-
80, roud not have been left at the post 1t IS
w. ,o,nest and most obvious duty of the Sieo per
-. starter to watch the principal horses in great
~ with the greatest keenness. the sharpest
,,rv and ceaseess vigilance. He falls most
,rous,y in his duty, in his obligations toward
e. ,uh,,c and in his responsibilities TO his employ
Wv :, he does not succeed in avoiding such de-
' h,o disaster as that which occurred at the
30, ~ the Brooklyn Handicap. The American
o,la are the laughing stock OF the world because
H., show so little mpatience and hnd so htte
., whom they are ill-treated and do not get their
.srh,s They are far too good-natured. They are
o Meek amable indulgent and long-suffering.
- .he,r ancestors had been foolishly submissive
- ,,ns,,ca and unfairness as are the Americans
:, ,o.dav the Declaration OF independence would
80 have been signed and this country would stu
- ,,are English colony. some prominent men
:, the racing world would like 10 see 1t to-day
CLIFFORD THE POPULAR FAvOR1TE.
,,srs was ample justification IN the circumstances
amending the start Of the Brooklyn Handicap for
,Aa raising OF tremendous row. Here was morse
~, had beaten all Corners in the West last year
e.ss nod won series of most brilliant and mar
,arous trumphs He had defeated every antagonist
Nth the most amazing ease. and an army OF the
shreudsst and most sagacious turfmen In the coun-
NV looked upon him the champion racehorse OF
America He had been backed In poolrooms ana
hooks all over the country for many months be-
fore this race. He the popular favorlte at an
times in the betting and in the talk of the peop,e
,,hongh very large amounts were wagered on Sir
wa,,er DR. Rice Henry of Navarro. Ajax and
o,bsr horses during the spring and on the day or
the race Clifford at all times occupied the hrst
mace in the betting and carried the hopes, the good
wishes the admiration and the enthusiasm OF
sater multitude of the people than any other horse
in the rnce Now II a wrong Of the most seri'
o,s sort a wrong not likely to be condoned or par
doned that this horse left at the post In the
Brooklyn Handicap.
OF course the starter and all his friends-and Mr.
Rowe has great troops OF attached. devoted and
laval fr,epds-lay all the blame on the jockey No
doubt the Jockey most seriously in fault. lie
has been ruled off the turf more than once and 1t
,s a ui,v that he was ever taken back Such jock
eys as Martin do a great deal of mischief, damage
and injury to racing He has been detected on
more than one occasion in such practices as war
raned his expulsion from all decent racecourses.
He ought not 10 have been forgiven and restored
TO the turf Naturally jockey with such record
Is always looked upon with suspicion; and 1t Is
most unfortunate and regrettable that he should
have had the mount OF the overwhelming favorite
IN the Brooklyn Handicap. But II is plain to every
impartial person that the starter must also nave
been very grieyously and to most melancholy eN-
tent at fault Martin may have been careless ana
reckless Yet 1t the duty Of the starter TO
that Clifford got off, and II Martin had per-
ssteny refused to try get of with Clifford. the
starter should have appealed TO the stewards. and
had Martin taken down The legons of ClinOris
hackers. and the tens OF thousands OF people who
looked at this race were entitled TO fair start for
Clifford and a fair contest from start to finish.
THREE HORSES WERE LEFT AT THE POST.
Why is It that favorites DO not get left al the post
In England and in Australia? They have just as
as We have here. but apparently they have much
CAREFUL, vgilant and successful starters. Mr.
Rowe made number Of extremely bad starts last
year. and his work on Tuesday Of the most |
unsatisfactory sort Not only Clifford left at |
the post but Sport and Lowlander practically |
left well This discreditable for 800 per
day starter practically to leave three horses at the
post in Of such Importance and interest as
this Many sensitive men would have felt com |
PEELED 10 resign their position II they had made |
such dismal blunder Mr.. Rowe made in the |
start Of the Brooklyn Handicap. But. OF course. the
racing authorities take the matter cooly. The |
spirit and disposition Of some Of them toward the |
public which sustains and supports racing are often
OF the "public-be-damned" order They little |
how seriously the public is Offended or alienatei |
They back up their officials ana employees against |
al criticism Nevertheless. it was imposition on
the patrons OF the turf; It was wrong to the !
packers OF Clifford II was thing not TO be for !
gotten or overlooked this start In the Brooklyn |
Handicap; and a calamity that ought never to be
forgotten In the history OF the American turf PEG
PIE that go TO the races have some rights. The |
hackers Of the favorite in great race have some
rights, and both starters and Jockeys ought TO be |
compelled to take sufficient pains to treat the pa
irons Of racing fairly.
II only all jockeys were Ike Tara starters would
nave no serious trouble Taral does get left |
fayorite in a great handicap. He is always alert |
sna has his eyes wide open, and has his wits about
MN. marvellous Jockey he Is; II was the Jockey
more than the horse that the Brooklyn Handi- |
cap II Tara had been Clifford. the horse would |
never have been left at the post. But the starter
mould be prepared at all times to deal with sucn
Jockeys as Martin. well with accomplished |
master OF riding Taral is II was such A pitt |
,ui and woful thing that the hackers OF Clifford |
xever got any run at all for their money. II Clif
,orq mad got OFF fairly, and had not been interfered
WIN or 1osted after fair Start. then his hackers
s soad not have uttered word Of complaint II he |
nsa tailed 10 get even third pace. 1t Is possible. Of
r r that II Clifford had not been left at the
Rs b.. he might not have been able to defeat Dr.
nee Henry OF Navarro and Sir Walter all three at |
me weights. Still. II Is almost certainty, from
S Ss magnificent career in the West last year that
.s would at least have got place. and 1t Is prob
sue ne would have won the race. But his back |
81. t did not have even the consolation Of winning
.helr bets on him for second or third place let |
s'ohe their wagers for first position.
THERE SHOULD BE A STARTER IN RESERVE
There Is something extremely wrong in the ma
WINERY OF the turf when such a catastrophe as
WIS happens and no suffers any penalty The |
Nsw Jockey Club ought to have at least two COM |
ss'ent starters. and when OF them bunders so |
Ndly as Mr.. Rowe blundered on Tuesday, he ought |