The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-15
GOSSIP OF The RACETRACK
"WiLK Ut STARTING" TO RE
TRIED HERE NEXT YEAR.


Us Hthehutu
FROM an excellent source IL was learned
Yesterday that the Jockey Club stewards
hsv" been discussing the starting problem
~ great length recently and that they have
reached a definite conclusion. There will
he no change in the present method Of sending
The horses away from the barrier until next
season. Then at the opening Of the cam
raiGn AZ Bcnnings the walk up" system will
be permitted. and II IL can be shown TO be the
most satisfactory way Of starting the races
n vi0 he permanently adopted. IL Ia said
that a majority OF the stewards, Welding to
the Wild clamor Of alarmists. have decided
that the natfooted start must be supplapted
hy the system which Mars Cassidy first in
troduced In the East and has since declared
II 10 be impracticable.
TIE suns informant said yesterday that
the walk up system would have been adopted
ZONE time ago but TO- the fact that a change
IN midseasou would have caused no end Of
confusion az the post because Of the fact
that nearly all the horses racing In the East
have been schooled To the standing start.
But bv the time next season rolls around It
Ia said that the Jockey Club stewards believe
that the horses will have been made 10 under
stand what is required Of them under the
walk up system, so that the starter can begin
his duties under rather favorable circum-
stances. And furthermore II 10 stated on
good authority that the Jockey Club will
have two starters instead Of one. Mars Cas-
sidv and A. y. Dade. and that they will relieve
Zach other on the local circuit. so that both
can have a rest now and then.
While there are numerous advocate ca of
the walk up system" there are also many
horsemen who oppose IL vigorously. IL il
maintained by the latter that TO abolish the
fstfooted break In favor of this newfangIed
arrangement Is simply taking q backw ard
step. for the walk up system Is nothing more
shan n RnDAtAA $500, - a. 80
red nag was dropped upon q flying field. In
this case the barrier takes the place OF the red
rag and prevents a long delay st the post
caused by a series Of false breaks.
Opponents OF the walk up system say that
IL will give quick breakers an even greater
advantage than they have now. for the reason
that they can get under full headwsy
much more readily from q walk than they can
from a stationary position. They also saw
that a horse that does not break quickly
under the walk up plan will never have a
chance to overhaul the pacemskers, who will
be able 20 secure an invincible lead in the first
sixteenth Of a mile. Under the hstfooted
system all horses have q fair break. provid-
ing the starter is competent and painstakinR,
so that a slow breaker often manages to make
up his lost ground in the latter stages Of the
race. because his field does not gain too great
an advantage at the outset.
~ the walk up system 10 adopted, " said a
conservative turfman yesterday, the public
will be the sufferer. As things stand now
the public, used to the natfooted break,
knows the post qualities Of the different
horses like a book. Racegoers know that
under the fiat footed system Philander. for
instance. Is a slow breaker, while Peter Pan
Ia like lightning In getting away. and they bet
on them accordingly. Change this TO the
walk up system and the public will be all at
sea, for the horses will develop far different
nnallftQa AT the harFiAT SAtnn k~~.~. ul.
men. are quicker than others. so that they
have an advantage at the post. But how
much greater would their ad vantaRe be IL
they were allowed to break while In motion2
There In nothing the matter with the present
system of starting except that the man who
Ia handling the barrier does not class with
such former experts as Caldwell. Pettingill
Fitzgerald and others. IL has been demon
strated to the metropolitan public that the
most satisfactory starting can be done with
the hatfooted break. So why not let well
enough alone instead of permitting an IRE
spopsible clamor to influence the powers
that be-"
decided TO give the walk up system a thorough
trial next spring and II the starting then Ia
not satisfactory there will be several other
radical chan ges.
The Buffalo meeting winds 10 this week
and 1t will 20 on record as a remarkable
A0AlT III many WAYS. Win n western aynQt-
cate in control hnd the bookmakers paying q
daily fee OF 800 each to the mana cement.
the State Racing Commission and the Jockey
Club will be asked TO grant a license and date
respectively next year for another meeting
under the same mana cement. A. the Jockey
Club has made no move TO suppress the
financial relations between the bookmakers |
and the track managers at Buffalo, the i'm
preston he gins to gain strength that there 10
n lack Of sincerity on the part Of somsbody.
The Jockey Club cut OF the revenue from the
book makers on the local tracks some time |
ago. yet II winks at the old practice which
has been In full blast all through the Buffalo
meeting. In a word. the gambling element |
has made IL possible to keep the gates OF
kenilworth Park open while the owners OF
the plant have derived q financial benefit. |
From all accounts the Buffalo game has been
such that II is a wonder that the District |
Attorney and the Sheriff Of Erie county have
not stepped in with offcial interference. The
turf in New York State has been saved from
total destruction by the fact that reputable
citizens. not the professional gamblers, have
controlled the racetrscks. But II Is just the
other way at Buffalo, Can the sport stand
such a game at Kenilworth Park another
year?
While there il no time left TO arrange for
a LIST Of attractive stakes to be decided next
month A. the Yonkers track. q distribution
Of liberal added winnings in the overnight
events is sure to attract good horses. IL 10
an easy matter to secure competent racing
%offcials. for the West can provide plenty Of
With Richard Dryer or Jack Holt
man handling the barrier and Capt. Rees
az Francis Trevelyan In the judges stand
there would be no need OF depending upon
the Jockey Club to provide officials for these
places. The Yonkers management simply
has 10 win the confidence OF the public TO
mako the nrnn0aed moAfipR "A huga alCCeaa /