Rock Island Argus., 1894-11-23
STARTING HORSES.
SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THIS IS
A DIFFICULT BUSINESS.


Why It Is Harder Hero Than In Other
Countries-Bother of Short Dashes !
uiar Misunderstanding of Good and had |
Starts.
Starting race horses is fine art, and !
the man who fancies it ism t will never be
| convinced until he stands, flag in hand,
facing 10, 600 persons, and with a 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 blame for
the trouble at the post, nor is it the
Jockey directly. but it is the owner.
trainer or some speculator in the 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 q 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 u
depressing influence ON the improve
ment 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 a lost art. and
even our best jockeys now. with very
rare exceptions, have no more idea of
race riding than to get away well 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 5 or 90 horses. many of them rid
den by boys not l6 years Of age, all of
e whom have been told-some of them
I Will WIFI
n of large rewards-to get the best of the
j start. Any visitor to our race tracks Is
: familiar with the scene at the post.
r Half dozen horses viii rush away al
e false break when there is no possible
e chance for an equitable start, and wheI
they come trotting back and before they
u have had time to wheel and get into
line those that remained behind tn;
first time will dash out and run perhaps
hundred yards, leaving the first squaC
III their places. This goes on indefinite
ly.
The public is also familiar with tn,
sight of one or more horses standin!
motionless some lengths behind thei
competitors. The starter asks the rider
of the horses in advance of the laggard
to wait until they have taken their po
sitions. Each boy seems to think it i
his bounden duty to walk his hors
when those III the rear attempt to NOV
up at a walk and to break away madl,
If an attempt is made by those benin,
to come up at run.
A starter should have Thorough
knowledge of racing, should be maj
-e of q high degree of intelligence,
re quick of eye and hand and, above all
ID be of unimpeachable integrity. The is
nj sue of many thousands of dollars often
of times hundreds of thousands of dollars
Is is decided by the fall of his red fiae
l. and it is his duty to see that ever
ut horse. no matter by whom he is owned
rs has an equal chance when he leaves Il,
er post. Every effort is made to catch til
f. horses i'll motion and Oh as nearly eve
terms rs possible The eye must tax
i'll the field in twinkling, and if til
Judgment is that the start is satisfact(
ry the hand will act i'll unison with til
eye and the brain.
. Very often horses are in bad places
and what might look to be good sta
II from the grand stand would be poo
one i'll the Judgment of the starter, an
- the flag does not fall Criticism follow
and generally it is of the harshest al
most unjust character Some horses a,
~ quicker on their feet than others ar
y will make good start look like po,
. one through their ability to get und
way much more rapidly than their con
petitors. good start when the Il;
drops becomes TO the unthiuking al
Ignorant a poor start, and abuse is hea
ed upon the head of the official.
From time to time mechanical appl
ances for starting race horses have be,
invented. but they have not been pra
ticai and have not achieved success
A swinging gate to be raised by electric
% ty was spoken of some time ago, b
3 20 fractions thoroughbreds could not
90 got near it. There are, again, hors
60 that are not to be controlled at time
and collisions with the obstacle won
. undoubtedly be of daily occurrenc
Then, too, it would take months of dri
ing to get horses to overcome the id
II that they were not going to run in
the gate. This and many other objt
tions can be raised against this systel
A western inventor has patented a ga
. to be lowered before the horses VIII
i'' they stand at the post, which may