Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-25
England May Take
Up American Form
Of Starting Races
British Enthusiasts Are Inclined TO
Abandon Standing start-May
Use Walk.Up.


NEW YORK. Dec. 2-For nearly fifteen
years the starting gate has been IN opera
ton on American race courses. ana for
nearly ten years English aportsmen have
paid tribute 10 the new system OF STARRING
race horses. but up to the present the ing
lish DO not appear 10 have derived a. much
satisfaction from the system a. has been
the case in this country.
At the recent Gimorack club dlpner IN
London the subject was discussed at length
and the drift OF opinion seemed TO warrant
a change from the standing start, which
has always been IN operation IN England
TO the walk-up method, or at least allow
the starter to use his judgment when op-
portunlty offers and allow the horses 70
leave the barrier when In motion.
1T is impossible to start field Of horses
from q stand. They simply will not stand
and that Is all there is 70 H." said Mr.
ROthschild, and no blame attaches 20 the
starters. The English starters are a. good
as, II not better than, those attached to
any other Jockey club in the world. BE
ing compelled, however. 70 start horses
from stand, they are never afforded a
fair opportunity OF displaying their ability.
While holding no brief for the various
American racing associations, l must con-
fess that they are infinitely more ready to
embrace an innovation than their British
confreres. For instance, having tried Mrs.
Cassidy and the walk-up start at Juaroz
in Mexico, the authorities there decided
that the wRlk-up start was preferable to
attempting to start horses from a stand.
with the result that horses here are walked
up 10 the barrier and the starting trouble
is practically nonresident
Yet we obstinately refuse to give the
waiK-up start a change. We know from
bitter experience what an abject failure IL
the starting gate when coupled with the
standing start. Why not. therefore, let us
give the walk-up method a trlalY
THE starting Of the present day is the
curse OF the turf. Time after time horses
are left merely because they lived UP to
the Jockey club rule, which is that horses
shall face the barrier IN alignment This
is beautiful in theory. but impossible In
practice.
You cannot cajole or. compel a field OF
race horses TO act like automatic Each
horse Is separate and distinct Individual
and whereas some will face the barrier
absolutely free from nervousness of any
description, others are on strings from the
moment they feel a saddle on their backs,
and by the time they arrive at the post
are in state OF lather and nervousness
which il is pitiable to witness.
Having arrived, the very sight Of their
old enemy, the gate, excites them to the
pitch of frenzy, and so unruly are they
that they either get away we'll In front or
are left. II a horse, thanks to defying
the rules, gets away with flying start,
as he often does, IL is nothing more nor
less than rank fraud upon the owners
whose horses have been properly schooled
and are amenable to the gate.
1t is, however, in ninety-nine cases out
of hundred, not the fault of the trainers
Of the fractions and unruly animals. but
the fault OF the system.