Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-25
POOR RACE STARTS
WORRYING BETTORS.

NEW YORK. September 25.-All race
goers agree that the starting OF horses at
the local tracks has been wretched. and
there Is little hope OF relief. Mars Cassidy's
work with the barrier has resulted in much
dissatisfaction. not only among the rank
and file of turfmen. but among the officials;
but Cassidy lays the blame to the fact that
he Is not allowed to start In the manner
he thinks best-the wak-up system.
The jockey club stewards have their own
views, and insist that the horses be sent
away from the barrier from a standing
start.
AS the two methods are entirely different
and harmony between starter and track Of
ficials Is lacking, wretched starts, that Oft
entimes directly influence the results of
races. have resulted. The starter and Of
dcials are blaming each other.
Scarcely a day passes without two or
three horses being left at the post, while
formerly It was the exception to see a
bad start. Many thousands Of dollars have
been lost by horses being sent away on
uney en- terms.
That the starting question Is most vital
is made evident to any one who will take
the trouble to go down into the betting
rings after a race and hear the plungers
talk. They say that Cassidy and the officials
are working at cross-purposes.
There seems to be no fixed system.
Sometimes the horses are sent away from
-
up system is used. One result Is that
jockey and starter do not understand each
other. and they do not work in harmony.
A canvas Of the ring where the big
turf piungers congregate, brought forth the
unanimous opinion that Cassidy should be
restricted to the use of the standing start.
They claimed that this method OF start
ing is much more satisfactory than the old
one.
In giving his views on the subject, q
big turf Spectator. man who bets from
81, 600 to 5000 during an afternoon said:
THE standing start is the only proper
way to send horses away from the post
A bad start. while the horses are stand
Ing Is never as poor as a bad one made
while the horses are in motion. A horse
away last in field, where the horses are
dispatched fiat-footed. has a chance to make
up his lost ground, because the leaders are
not In better motion than those in the rear
division.
This is impossible under the walk-up,
or moving style Of starting. Usually, where
this method is employed. some of the horses
are In better motion than others, and they
gain such Roadway in the first few strides
that the last horses are never able to over
haul them. Where horse breaks fiat
footed, the start may seem bad, but 1t is
not SO in effect. I have seen many horses
get away poorly and make up their lost
ground and win races from standing start,
but have never seen horse left lengths
behind the leaders In running start.
make up lost ground anc win."
Cassidy believes in the walking-up sys-
tenn and says all his best work with the
barrier was accomplished because he adj
hered strictly to this method. Cassidy was
good starter couple of years ago, but
his work has deteriorated Twice during
the Gravesend meeting he sent his field
away while the horses were In motion and
the starts were very bad.
The Brighton Beach track, the popular
little mile course by the sea- where every
man who pays So can see every inch OF
every contest will be the scene OF the rae
ing today. For week the thoroughbreds
Will hold forth at this place. and then
another shift will be made to Belmont
Park :