New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-15
HARNESS RACING.
NEW RULES PROPOSED BY THE JOINT CON.
FERENCE OF THE N. T. A. AND A. T. A.

NEW RULES PROPOSED BY THE JOINT CON-
FERENCE OF THE N. T A AND A. IA
w. H. Gocher secretary Of the National Trotting
Association, yesterday made public the revised
code or harness racing rules agreed by the rep
resentatves of the n. T. A. and A. IT. A at the
Murray Hill conference last week. Sixteen Of the
s!xty-two rules OF the existing N T. A. code come
in for less alteration while some Of the old
rules wholly repealed.
Perhaps the most important amendment agreed
is that which fixes the status of men and horses
expelled for fraud by racing organizations not
members of the National Trotting Association.
Heretofore there has been provision in the rules
recognizing foreign expulsion for fraud and when
Bob Kneebs returned to this country, after hav-
ing served a term in Germany for ringing the
American trotting mare Bethel. 2:16A, he was as
free to drive on the tracks Of the N II A. as If he
had never figured in international incorporating
tour. Nor was there anything In the turf code to
meet the case Of a trotter like BERTHE r.. 212A
that was recently returned to this country after
having trotted out of her class and under false
name in both France and England. In order to
head off all turf outlaws the conference has recon-
mended the adoption of the following amendment
to Rule 81:
All persons and horses under expulsion for fraud
% d Irocng ana .unning associations IN
established rules, and such persons and horses as
time stand expelled from the National Trotting
Association. and shall not be allowed comDete
the courses of members of this association The
Board Of Appeals of the National Trottng Associa-
ton reserves the power lin the said Board
is not in session. then the president Is vested with
the power temporarily to reverse modify, for
good cause shown. any such expulsion, in far
as It affects this association
The proposed rule thus recognizes expuisions
for fraud, wherever made, and applies to running
tracks and trotting tracks alike. It is retroactive
IN its operation and will bar all horses and horse
men under the ban in Europe and America.
Another important recommendation OF the confer
ence concerns the placing OF the distance flag IN
harness racing. According to the present code of
the National Trotting Association the distance flag
is placed at eighty yards in races of mile heats
best two in three. and 100 yards IN OF
mile heats. best three in five, distance being IN
creased one-half in any heat where eight more
horses compete. In races of two mile heats the
distance is $50 yards: three mile heats 900
yards, and four mile heats. 900 yards The proposed
/ new rule makes distinction between races at
mile. two miles any other distance,
tween races of mile heats two in three, and mile
heats, three in five. II establishes a new dis
tinction, however, between races on mile tracks
and those half mile tracks and reads follows:
In all heat races on mile tracks eighty yards shall
be a distance: where eight more start in a heat
100 yards shall be distance. In all heats half
mile tracks 100 yards shall be distance: when
eight more horses start in heat $50 yards shall
be a distance
Rule 81 is further amended by adding new sec
ton follows:
A dIstanced horse is out Of the race, and not
entitled to any portion of the premium