The Detroit times., 1912-08-29
STARTING THE RUNNERS
is AS DIFFICULT AS
MAKING CATS PERFORM
Thorougfrbreds Are As Quick
and Restless AS Felines,
Says Starter Dade
FEATURE TODAY
Feature of Fourth Days Racing
Is Walkerville Handicap
Steeplechase
NEW FEATURE TODAY

Imagine trying to arrange dozen
live cats in a perfectly straight line
for moment and you have some idea
OF :he dificulty that Starter A. b.
Dade has in getting OF the fields at
the Windsor races.
He says that the thoroughbreds are
as quick and as restless as felines.
He has seen a pony jump 20 feet In
the winking OF an eye.
Added to the restlessness OF the
ponies themselves at the gate Is the
constant endeavor of the jockeys to
secure the best start possible for their
ponies, all OF which makes the get
ting on OF seven races a day no easy
task.
I hose who follow the runners say
that the starter at the barrier has
more difficult time than the man who
watches the horses score on the har.
ness tracks Tere Is only one start
for the runners. The barrier is
snapped and they are on A horse
may be left standing at the gate. but
Ii makes no difference, for the race Is
on.
The difficulty in getting the horses
on on a good start Is proportional d.
rectly to the value OF the purse anc
inversely to the distance TO be run.
Starter Dade has officiated In races
in which the entry OF each horse cost
It's owner a thousand bones. Hence
II behooved every jockey TO get the
best position possible. In the sprints
the start Is OF so much value that II
Is only to be expected that the shorter
the race the more eager are the riders
TO break out In front at the snap oil
the gate.
The gate used by Dade at the Wind
sor races Is one that he has employed
for eight year He says It to be the
best that he has seen. In its simplici-
ty, he thinks. lies Its greatest value.
II can e repaired In five minutes II
II Is broken down by an unruly horse.
To an observer the gate loks ike
two arms one at each side OF the
track connected BY a cloth band that
blocks the course OF the horses until
the arms are lifted with a snap. IL
was invented by Chris Fitzgerald. Phil
McInnis. who Is usually assisting
Dade but who Is now at Havre de
Grace, recommended II TO the Wind
sor starter and he has used 1t entire
ly on the Canadian Racing association
tracks.
The lovers OF the timber skimming
events have their innings toay for
the feature OF the fourth days racing
is the biggest steeplechase OF the
meet, the walkerville Handicap
Steeplechase.
There are only four entries In the
event despite the purse Of $1,000 and
three OF the horses are grouped as
the r. Parr and william Garth entry.
These three are the Welkin, Ring
master and Gun Cotton. This entry
will be made the opopular fayorite,
naturally. over Prince Hampton.
The chase will be run over soft
course, but II viii be better than u
was yesterday.
Yesterday was a novelty for the
week In Two ways. First, the mud
ders had their frst good day and, sec.
ond, the public had their first bad
one.
That Is to say. the track was muddy
and the favorites failed to cop with
any consistency. Only two first
choices rewarded their hackers. Fly.
ing Feet made good in the last race
and Union Jack In the first. In the
other Ave. the popular choices were
downed.
The Essex Handicap proved a sur
prise. When Calgary was scratched,
Rock View, August Belmont's colt,
was Installed the/favorite. but schorrs
Leochares won fhe race.
Union Jack, winner OF the first race,