Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-16
OLD.TIME HEAT RACING.
Horse Galleoed IL Miles for 91o
and Maybe Didn't Get It Then.

From Baily's Magazine.
In the early days Of racing most.
though not all races, were run in heats.
1t would be difficult to say what was
the original reason Of heat races. What
ever it may have been, they held strong
position in public favor for long time,
and it was not till the middle of the
nineteenth century was we'll past that
they dropped out of race programs al
together.
The first race mentioned in the official
calendar took place in September, 1903. at
York. 1t was for gold cup of the value
of ESQ and was in four-mile heats. There
were four runners and the first heat was
won by Wart, with Stout second. In the
second heat the result was the same.
One would naturally think that Mr..
Metcalf had won the cup. and SO he had.
but he could not get it unless he ran in
the third heat and saved his distance.
such being the rule then in force. SO
Wart was started again. in a third heat.
In which he took matters leisurely, as
was but natural, and saved his distance,
finishing third.
There were three days racing at that
York meeting, with one race on each day
and each race run in fOur-mile heats. On
the third day there was pretty lively
scene. A 91O plate-fancy having to gal
lop twelve miles for E10-brought four
horses to the post, and the first heat was
won by Button.
In the second heat Milkmaid,> who had
finished third in the previous heat, was
the winner, Button finishing third, Brisk
having been second on both occasions
So Button, Milkmaid and Brisk went
to the post for the third and deciding
heat. Then came dead heat between
Button and Milkmaid: the tryers-there
was not a single judge till long after the
days of good Queen Anne. and three
gentlemen, known as tryers, did the judg-
ing-could not separate them.
However. the jockeys of Milkmaid and
Button had been guilty Of foul riding
during the race and had afterward fought
on horseback, and the tryers were rather
in a difficulty. They got out of it by
awarding the race-not the heat, but the
race-to Brisk. who had not won heat
at all. which says the writer. strikes
me as being about as curious decision
as race officials ever came to-.
The row in this race does not stand
alone in the early records Of racing. and
fights between jockeys were by no means
uncommon in the good old days. Five
years later. at York, there was another
battle royal between two jockeys. in
Her Majestys Queen Anne's cup OF loo
suineas. there was g very close Struggle.
being second In the second heat these
positions were reversed. Then came a
very severe race for the third heat. Both
Jockeys endeavored to take unfair ad-
vantage and apparently they both sue
ceeded Then as the Jockeys returned
to scale the two Jockeys had a good setto
with their whips.
The tryers gave the heat to Foxhunter
and this of course carried the race; but
they thought as there had been such
foul riding the heat should be run over
again by Duchess and Foxhunter This
was done and Duchess won by q very
narrow margin. Mr.. Childers and MI.
Person both claimed the cup and there
was a law suit oyer it. In the meantime
the cup was invested in trust with the
Lord Mayor of York.
The decision Of the court was that all
the horses not distanced had an equal
right to the cup. This. let in Mr. Moore
and Mr. Young. who certainly came a
long way the best out of the law suit.
The four gentlemen parted with their
shares for % guineas each to the Duke
of Rutland, the Earl OF Carlisle and Sir
William Lowther. the latter gentleman
taking two shares. and II was agreed that
the cup should be run for again In hve
years time and July 10. 1710. 1t was won
by the Earl of Carlisle's Buckhunter.