New-York tribune., 1908-01-27
COMMENT ON SPORTS.
THE QUESTION OF FOULS
Ne7cs and Vie7cs on Current Topics,
Amateur and Professional.


called the legislative period. slip by without
.,,e., considering so far as can be learned. 2
much needed revision Of Rule 1u> oi the fNuieS
of Racing pertaining 10 fouls and dlsquailhea-
45ons II would almost as II tlhne anu
enace were wasted in referring 10 TINS supIec'
again as for some reason hard 10 explain the
stewards of the Jockey Club do not appear to
ennreciare the need for a change. have not
heen alone in making suggestions for an amend
rnent TO Rule les and the question has been
fruitful source Of discussion for some time
among practical racing men. with remarkable
,lnanirnity Of opinion that a revision would make
for good In view Of this feel constrained 70
discuss the subject again at some length. IN the
hone that the Jockey Club may still find time
before the season opens TO take action on a
question the importance of which was enpha-
sized on more than one occasion last year The
very fact that there is a difference Of opinion
on the Interpretation Of the rule and its word
ing among the men who act as stewards OF the
various meetings should lead to clarihcation-
all other reasons aside. That such a difference
Of opinion does exist was plainly shown last
season in passing on claims of fouls
TEE rule as it stands to-day leaves option
with the stewards OF a meeting as TO whether
8 horse shall be disqualified or not They must
decide simply If & foul has or has not been COM
mitted. or split the Interpretation or mean
snE Of the word impede" This ties their hands
10 large extent in preventing rough and foul
riding. which should not be tolerated. The rule
al present reads as follows.
Rule 1oS-(n A leading horse Is entitled any
T' o. @ a'e Ti- ne s6aIT not iI7,a7e another horse
by crossing SO as TO compel tnm 70 shorten ms
stride.
GD = horse crossing another 50 as actually 70
impede him is disqualified, unless the lmpeoeo
wholly caused by the fault Of some other morse OF
a~fgg-
,,45 s 3 I,,Ies ~ i,IDa.5ed t3orss or his Jockey
was partly in fault. the joste was wholly caused
by the fault Of other horse or Jockey
5ockey. or r76e vgifniIy or carelessly SO in
5ure another horse. which is in no way in fault or
oisquaIifed
The theory Of racing is that the best horse
should win This rule. if enforced 10 the letter
is sometimes done. pTecludes the best horse
winning under certain circumstances, or al
least prevents his earning the fruits Of victory
4 horse may cross or jostle another so as 10
impede him al the start through the race
and still be immeasurably the better. but under
the rule that horse is disqualified, and the
stewards who believe in enforcing the rule as II
stands have no recourse. on the other hand,
the rule is overlooked and becomes imperative
If the stewards (vvho are opposed 10 dIsqualih-
cations} in their limited capacity d jury 10
PASS on the facts decide that there has been
To crossing or jostling. which mayhap has been
plain to all
The rule should be revised and framed so as
TO give the stewards something mere than the
authority Of a jury TO pass on the facts They
should have the authority Of a judge TO pass on
The merits OF the case They should not be lin
red and called TO decide on only if horse
has been impeded by crossing. jostng or being
hft with the whip 10y opposing jockey-. but
should have the power to decide If horse was
irnpeded enough TO prevent his winning or earn
inE p position among the three placed horses.
With rule giving the stewards authority 10
decide whether any interference prevented
horse from earning a better position in a race,
thev could act accordingly and punish the
Jockey. disquslify the horse. both. as the case
demanded As il is those stewards who have
antipa;hy Ia disqualifving who, from
sense Of fairness to the best horse, close their
ewes 10 minor infractions Of the rule. openly
encourage rough and foul riding. The Jockey
vino resorts To sharp practice may escape well
rrerited punishment II his mount is not dis
qualified after finishing in the first three, for
the simple reason that 10 discipline boy is an
acknowledgment by the stewards that there
has been interference or foul riding and that.
under the rule. means disqualification.
I can recall two OF three instances last year
when the letter Of the rule was enforced At
fhe expense OF what the majority Of racegoers
considered fairness. In race at Bennng
November 10 Tenakoe bumped and interfered
with onnipotent in the drive through the last
furlong The latter won by a head. He had
been impeded, no doubt. by Tenakoe, although
not enough to prevent his winning. and Yet
Tenakoe was disqualified from second place.
and rightly. perhaps. under strict interpreta-
lion Of the rule The absurdity Of the ruling
however. or Il might he said better the rule.
was strikingly emphasized Tenakoe was i'm
messurabiy better than those who finished be-
hind MIN. and the theory Of the best horse
winning had not been violated: why then should
rhe owner lose second money. to say nothing
of the loss those who had bet the horse
pisce and third? Under an equitable rule the
Jockey could have been punished without dis
placing the horse. On July . al Sheepshead
Bay. Biskra disqualified for fouling Hal.
which finished in front Of her. and during the
spring meeting at Gravesend. BrookdaIe Nymph
was set hack after finishing second for foulinE
Veil at the start The jockeys in both cases
deserved punishment. perhaps hut the stewards
in Furnishing the boys made the rule operative.
End disqualification Of the horses vas inevi-
table although there appeared TO he no good
reason 81 far IS any interference affected the
piscins IF she horses On the same principle
dozens II not hundreds. Of other horses should
have been disqualified during the season.
Hardly = DAY passed without some Interference
heing overlooked DisquaIi7cations unpopu-
isr AZ all times, but particularly so when race
Coers cannot sec any equitable reason.
The rule was framed TO prevent rough, foul
and unfair riding and 10 insure far pos
sible the best horse winning, but the rule as
now worded works injustice in many cases