The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-14
PRESENT STARTING
SYSTEM CONDEMNED
Flat-Fo0ted Plan Is Declared to
Be Cause of Many Bad
Performances.
SOME HORSES BREAK
BETTER THAN OTHERS
Plan of Letting Racers Walk to
Gate Works Out With
Good Results.
Tribune Special Snoring Service.

HrlDuEs SQeCl6l sporting SeINlCe
LEXINGTON, Ky, Oct. 13.--'f Start
ing, as it is done on metropolitan race
tracks, is not satisfactory 20 either
turfmen OF racegoers,' said a veteran
follower of the thoroughbreds IN an
interview upon his return here. It
is now an engrossing subject OF discus
sion among owners, trainers, and pat
rops OF the turf, and the coming winter
horsemen and all others interested In
the turf will doubtless, II leisure mo-
ments, give 1t ample consideration and
review its effect on the season S rae
ing.
That is responsible for most Of the
Inconsistent performances so far re.
corded, IS well as for the failure OF
well-backed horses TO get away from
the post, IS at the present time an
opinion commonly expressed. Expert
epce that has been az times costly to
both owners and the public has thor
oughiy demonstrated that the Gat.foot-
ed system is not equitable. Some
horses break quicker than others. The
difference in this respect may be due
TO conformation or disposition, and
may also be so radical that neither
training nor schooling at the barrier
viii enable I'll horses to have even
chances in q standing start Neither
cap Jockeys of different teH.perament5
NC AdQS CGudLiy aiC- GU buO ppSb.
Starters Are Condemned.
When bad start occurs, most OBJ.
servers criticise or condemn the starter.
That IS the height of absurdity. I'm,
der the prevailing system the duty OF
the starter IS TO get the horses aligned
and touch button, which springs the
gate. There his responsibility ends Ee
cannot make q field OF race horses
standing II a perfect line break from
that line and go away on even strides.
Even an exceptionally even start may
be made TO look bad by an animal that
Is much more ninble than its compan-
lons. II any event there is no good
reason for railing at the starter.
At New Orleans last winter Cas-
sidy adopted different system and his
success elected praise from horsemen
and public. He made the Jockeys walk
thelr mounts up 10 the gate, and the
result was that almost invariably they
got away N good order. The reason
was apparent. Every horse was IN mo
Iion and none obtained any special ad-
vantage. Races were not decided by
the start OF course, quick breakers
showed N front in the first furlong or
quarter, bat they did not secure leads
that enabled them TO defeat better
horses which were less rapid in the
opening strides. And no Jockey had
any advantage over another at the
post
80 Under the system which the Jockey
club 3avors both rapid breakers and
alert boys are favored Among the
Jockeys. Miller is a notable example.
While be is obedient at the post. he
IS keeply alert and reckless His meth
Cd IS fraught with danger While 9th
er boys ere watching other riders and
horses he watches the starter, whose
action he at times appears TO antici-
pate. When the gate is released he
urges has mount away and usually gains
leading position Some time this
practice nay have serious result He
may not be able to rush to ths front,
other horses may close in on him and
cause an accident. Such accidents have
happened and may recur. -