Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-13
CLEVER RACE MEN
FAIL TO WIN.

NEW YORK, November f3.-Racfng In
this state WITH end for the year on We'd
nesday. the last day of the Adueduct meet
irg In many respects 1905 has been no.
table year. developing as It did a three-year-
OLD in James r. Keene's Sysonby whose
equal, many declare. has not been seen in
two decades. II within that period
The season was also marked by the early
retirement, from one cause or another. of
more than the usual number of four-year-
olds and upward that rs the season adj
vanced three-year-olds doomed UP as the
winners OF races for three year-olds and
upward. which usually go to older horses.
No doubt the American system OF over
racing two-year-olds and three-yeaT-olda
is responsible for their early withdrawal
from the turf. and while there Is gradu-
al improvement in this respect owners
are still too prone to take the bird In the
hand rather than risk waiting for the two
in the bush.
Mr.. Keene is the chief winning owner
of the year. having won about $4,000
while Harry Payne Whitney Is good sec
ond with about SITS, 900. and Sydney Paget
comes next with about 3125,000.
Races Hard to Beat
1t has been an exceptionally hard year
on men with both brains and capital in their
efforts to beat the game as hackers. l.
would be difficult to name half dozen
men known to have acquired much money
this year by betting. while it is easy 20
name scores who have given up the task
as a failure long before the year drew to
close.
1t must have been potent influence. for
instance. which prompted man o. such
unlimited capital as Jesse Lewisohn to
throw up his hands several weeks ago, in
r.ounce that he was done for the year, and
go to the west and south business trip.
Mr.. Lewisohn Is accredited with having lost
s2O0.eo0 this season, but this seems incredi-
ble when it is recalled that, in addition to
his own knowledge of the game. he had at
his elbow as mentor at all times the
person of David Gideon the admittedly
shrewdest turfman Of the day. who has
survived the battles of more than quarter
of a century, and still as a rule holds his
own, though he also is said this year to
be loser.
In the betting ring there has been Il
gradual Shrinkage in the list of Nets"
men who back as well as lay" and 1t
Is certainty that they would not have
retired from the ring If they were success
full in their selections. 1t is true that the
public at large. many of whom depend
upon public form. have done we'll all sea-
son, else they would not have been able
to day after day pay the increased rate of
admission which is now 20 per cent more
than 1t was at the beginning OF the year.
Standing Starts Blamed by Losers
But it is the men conceded to be both
ShreWd ana wealthy VINO have failed to
beat the game" Just why is the reason
sought for. Some say that 1t is due to the
methods of the starts. which are made
from a stand, instead Of from moving or
walking start. Under his rigorous discipline,
whereby the starter has throughout the
year suspended at one time or another all
the good jockeys. keeping some down for
nearly an entire meeting. that official now
has perfect control over them, but. strange
to say, it Is argued that that very control
has been gained at the sacrifice of the skill
of the best riders who found that when
their horses broke through the barrier in
their riders desire to get well away, the
boys suffered suspension often that fin
ally they became so tmid as to really be-
come inferior at the barrier to less able
but more rash lads. The consequence was
i'll fact. that the good Jockeys suffered at
the starts because they were afraid to Of
fend the starter. AS they were usually on
the best horses, it is alleged by men who
have lost heavily on the season that this is
enc of the reasons for 1t.
On the other hand. no one will deny that
when once the starter has the boys under
control that desirable state of affairs
should not be disturbed by the officials in
power because Of complaints from owners
about disciplined Jockeys. A happy solu-
ton is offered in the aforementioned PROPOSE
ton to give the starter the right to try his
preferred method Of starting-that Is with
the horses in motion, ION their toes" and
then await the issue