The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-04
KN0TTY AND |NSOLUBLE
The Starting Problem Not Solved
by Process of Time.
ENTIRE SYSTEM AT FAULT
Barrier Makes the Sport OF Horse Rae
ing Less a Sport and Attempts to
Reduce 1t to a Science. Which
1t Can Never Be.

The Australian starters gate has been
given a pretty fair test. improvements
or so-called Improvements. on the de-
vice have been tried and found want
Ing. Now, there's a ringing voice raised
TO abolish the barrier entirely and re-
vert back to the old time custom. While
the Standard has not made a canvass
of opinion on the matter among horse
owners, enough has been heard to prove
that the ace men are not a unit in IA
vor of the barrier.
AS a remedy for poor starts Francis
Trevelyan of the New York Journal
suggests that the barrier be dispensed
with and that the old time practice be
restored. He says that many issues are
perpetually prominent md important in
racing, but none exceeds in Importance
the question of starting, which has
been SO much to the fore since the
opening of the Sheepshead Bay autumn
meeting. The starting problem, instead
or becoming easier with process of time,
grows knottier and more insoluble. How
the demands of the public and turfmen
Tor goo starting are TO be satisfied,
n any man is to be enabled TO hold
the position of starter without a never
ceasing flood of spoken and printed
criticism, Is now a question more diff
cult to answer than ever before.
That the wholesale condemnation MI.
Fitzgerald has received from some
sources is unjustihable is agreed by un-
biased turfmen, but IL is beyond ques-
ton that his work is Nowhere near the
requisite standard. The Coney Island
Jockey club has more cause for COM
plant against him hi any other rae
Ing association or individual since his
tardy work has spoiled its two princi-
pal races of the year. the Suburban
Handicap n the Futurity Stakes.
Moreover, the constant delays at the
post are of so wearisome a character
that when the horses have gone into
the starters hand, the spectators al
most unconsciously settle down with an
irritable period of forced quietude till
the flag eventually falls. A delay is
expected in each and every race.
Under such circumstances as exist at
the present time, the question is newt |
ably raised as to whether the fault lies
with the individual occupying the posi-
tion Of starter, or whether the entire
system is not at fault. Experience goes
TO prove that it is rather the system
than the individual that must be
blamed.
1t is frequently said, and it is perfect
ly true, that Mr.. Fitzgerald has a great
advantage over his immediate prede-
cessors in the office in that the Jockey
club restored to him the immediate.
personal power of inflicting punishment
on jockeys without having to call upon
the stewards to interpose, as was the
case with the other starters we have
had of Late years. The starters power
in this respect should, of course, be
most ser~viceable. but it should not be
forgotten that criticism and Influence"
serve to largely curtail it.
For example, the starter had had il
animated to him in a variety of ways
and with varying degrees of acerbity
that he had lost control of the jockeys.
Yet, when he inflicted some very severe
penalties for misconduct at the post i'm
the Futurity he was called down" all
around, which, one can scarcely doubt,
had much to do with all the penalties
being RENTED. A discussion of this
matter led to a remark from a close OBJ
server of racing. that the only way Ito
make a good starter would be to give
a man a three years contract at a big
salary and guarantee him from all in
reference from other officials. OF
course, this would be impracticable, but
there is a decided grain of truth and
sense IN the suggestion.
If a anvas could be taken IL would
probably be found that a large ma
jority of racing men are agreed on one
point-that the introduction of the
starting machine has done infinitely
more harm han good. Mechanically,
no machine that we lave seen has
been successful. Morally, the machine
has had a detrimental effect. This lat
ter point is not altogether easy to ex-
plain. Still the machine, as such, is
out of place in the sport. 1t makes the