St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-09-06
STARTING HORSES.
toME OF THE REASONS WHY THIS is
A DIFFICULT BUSINESS.

Starts.
Starting race horses is a fine art, and
the man who fancies it ism It will never be
convinced until he stands, flag in hand,
facing 10, 900 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 90 it is not
the thoroughbred that is to blame for
the trouble at the post, nor is 1t the
jockey directly, but it is the owner,
trainer or some Spectator 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 we'll to sit in the grand stand
and criticise the work of the start>r
One must try the business himself 10
appreciate it's difficulties sJd its trials,
1t is a much harder task to start race
horses as we race in this country tian
in England, France, Austria or Aus
tralia, where the pace is very slow at
the 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 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
~ 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 III
front.
The reader can easily picture to him
self the scene at the post when there
are 3 or 90 horses, many Of them rid
den by boys not Is 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 the
start. Any visitor to our race tracks is
familiar with the scene at the post
Half a dozen horses will rush away at
a 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
a hundred yards, leaving the first squad
in their places. This goes ON indefinite
".
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 a walk and to break away madly
if an attempt is made by those behind
to come up at run.
A starter should have a thorough
knowledge of racing, should be a man
of a 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 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 if the
Judgment is that the start is satisfacto-
~ 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 on their feet than others and
will make a good start look like a 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 a 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-
teal 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 objec-
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
B:oving onward and upward at the same