The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-24
TRAINER HEFFNER
IS SUSPENDED BY
RACING STEWARDS
The Firms Losing Race a Few
Days Ago Cause Of
This Action.
OPINIONS DIFFER AS
TO JUSTICE OF RULING

A dull days racing al Belmont Park
yesterday was enlivencd by the break
ing Of a turf scandal hat involves one
Of the best known trainers In the East.
After I'd Heffner. who handles IL. c.
Hallenbcck's horses. had won two races
with Hedge and Blue Thistle. the stew
ards Of the messing made public a de-
cision that will exclude Heffner from
any further participation in the present
meeting.
The ruling came as a result OF an IN
quiry into the running of rhe knicker-
booker Handicap last Tuesday. in which
The Finn. raine by Heffner. was dis
gracefully beaten by horses OF indif-
fereut class. The Fin had returned
from a trip to Canada, where he had
won one Derby and was jus. beaten in
another. He was n strong f~avori,e
for the race. but after being ridden into
pockets was unable to finish in the
money. Under the powers vested in
them by the rules of racing the stew
ards OF the meeting issued the following
ruling;
because OF the unsatisfactory run
ming of The Finn. Edward w. Heffner's
privileges as a trainer are suspended for
this meeting and his case Is referred to
the Jockey Club"
There was a wide difference OF opin-
ION as to the justice OF the action taken
by the stewards. No one contended
that The Finn ran his race in the
Knickerbocker Handicap. but there were
hundreds OF meh on the racetrack who,
LvnxsttAv lIaffpar v.,1i tnSt9fal fhAf thA
trainer had nc active part in the poor
showing made by the best horse In his
stable. one well known student OF rae
ing expressed the opinion that the two
races of The Finn In Canada showed
tina he had developed a dislike for
racing. In both of these races he
propped at the start and lad to be
driven hard all the way to win one
race by a head and JUS; get beatsai
in the other.
Before The Finn left for Canada.
Trainer Herner expressed the greatest
fondness for the sterling three-year-
old. and on his return stated his belief
that he had had too much racing and
needed resting mp. That policy was pur-
sued and the Kn'cke.bocker Handicap.
which caused so much trouble. was the
frst start OF The Finn after his return
to local tracks.
III tHdl 1buAl ne E4tdIltu u lbt tll
cumstanccs that led to the action of the
stewards was that the version of the
amount of money bet on the horse by
the trainer differed from the statement
of the man who was supposed to bet the
money. Back of The Finn's race there
has been In and out running Of Hedge
and Blue Thistle. Both of these racers
were subjects OF inquiry by the race
stewards and after Jockey Byrne had
been exonerated for pulling up Blue
Thistle at the start he was set down by
h Empire City stewards for n similar
act with Hedge. As n result OF the
suspension the Hallenbeck horses will
have to stay out of the remaining races
under the jurisdiction of the Empire
City Jockey Club and whether Heffner
will continue in charge of the horses a,
Saratoga depends on the decision of the
Jockey Club stewards. Heffner bears
the name OF being one OF the squarest OF
trainers and his friends are loath to be-
lieve that he has been guilty OF wrong
doing.
The Mahopac Handicap, at six fur
longs, was the chief item on the pro-
gramme. 1t led to the downfall OF a
strong favorite in Hanovia. which was
claimed by NJ. A. Cotton after she was
beaten a few days ago. r. T. Wilson
Jr's Pomette Bleu stepped to the from,
at the raise of the barrier and though
Hanovia made a bold bid in the stretch
she never was able to get on even terms
with Pomette Bleu. which won by a
length. The summaries:
FIRST RACE.
For three -year.olds and upward: non.win