The sun., 1919-10-17
STEWARDS CENSURE
TRAINER BRESSLER
Threaten to Take His License
Away for Sending Crippled
Horse to Post.
BAN ON QUESTIONNAIRE
Colt Breaks Down After Run
ming Half a Mile-Recount
Wins Stake.
BAN ON QUESTIONABLE
By HENRY ". KING.

a. BY HENRY ". KING.
n r. Bressler sent QUESTIONABLE to
fthe post for the fifth race at the Empire
City track yesterday afternoon in such
"a disgraceful condition that he was pub
licly reprimanded by the stewards and
ordered not to start the horse again dur
ing the meeting. The colt was in such
a crippled condition that he broke down
before he had run half a mile. In fact,
he was broken down horse before he
went to the post and Mr.. Bressler knew
II. His ankles were swollen twice their
normal re and he was suffering from
two strained tendons which were on the
verge of bowling.
A glance at him in the paddock was
Sufficient to satisfy ,horsemen that he
could not finish the race. So crippled
did he look that several veteran turf
men offered to wager 20 to 1 that he
would not come back to the Judges on
four legs. But Mr.. Bressler seemed to
care more for the cheap $500 purse than
he did for the wagers OF thousands of
racegoers who support the sport and
sent him forth to race over the one mile
and seventy yard course.
y. Mr. Bressler didn't bet on his charge,
but thousands of recgoers did, and they
never had a chance of cashing their bets.
QUESTIONABLE belongs to Edward Airing
ton. He is handsome brown colt, three
years old, by Zeus and Frances, and
while in charge of Frank Herold early In
the year was considered among the top
notch three-year -olds of the country. In
the Brooklyn Handicap he finished third
behind Eternal and Purchase, and led
home nine of the best handicap horses In
training In the opinion of Mr.. Airing
ton, Mr.. Herold and host of racegoers
he was a $4,000 colt
Entered to he Sold for $500.
Yesterday he was entered for $500.
For such a famous and valuable thor
oughbred to be offered for sale for $500
caused a host Of racegoers to rush to
the paddock to see II he had all his legs.
But those who made the trip were only
small percentage of the crowd at the
track Practically every one present
believed the colt was unsound when he
was entered for such a small sum. but
vast majority would not be convinced that
. trainer would send a hopeless cripple
to the races and they wagered on him at
the short odds of l to 2.
But despite the thousands of wagers
which were placed on him his odds re-
coded. The visitors to the paddock re-
ported his wretched appearance and the
men who lay the odds advanced his
price steadily until at post time even
money was obtainable against his
chances At this price more wagers
superior to the plugs which opposed
him that he was considered a sure thing
II he stood up"
Hell win by a sixteenth Of a mile
or won't finish at ALL were the words
which Uttered around the grand stand.
and thousands were betting that he
would stand up.
At the barrier he seemed all right. In
q false break he ran an eighth of
x.atn ga,t IN, h. h.
displayed little speed and trailed his
field around the turn and into the back
stretch. But this didn't discourage his
friends. QUESTIONABLE is known as
slow beginner and great stretch run
ner and those who wagered on him eN
pected him to make his run while round
ing the turnout of the backstretch.
Crowd Gathers Around stand.
But the colt never reached the turn
While stepping along behind his field his
legs gave way with him and Jockey
Rowan was compelled to pull him up.
AS he stopped a great cry OF derision
rent the air. The crowd was angry. The
colt was scarcely able to hobble back to
the judges stand. and when he came
home long after his opponents had An
ished the crowd gathered around the
Judges stand and gave vent to their
feelings with jeers and catcalls.
These weren't necessary to arouse the
stewards. The officials were just as an
cry as the spectators. AS soon as all of
the horses had been weighed out and
Asterisk declared the official winner the
stewards went in quest of Mr.. lBressler
They found him in the paddock and or
dered him to their office. There the
trainer was cross-eXamined for several
minutes When the stewards emerged
from the meeting they were furious, and
NJ them DSiStad that ha
revoked Immediately. But they deliber-
ated again and consulted several well
known trainers.
After this session the officials were 8
bit calmer and 1t was announced that
they would fine Mr.. Bressler. But Wal.
ter Vosburgh, who is one of the stewards
of the meeting. came to his rescue. He
declared that Mr. Bressler had officially
notified him before the race that his col
was on the verge of a breakdown anC
that he believed QUESTIONABLE woulC
"stand up" This statement by Mr.
Nosburgh caused the other stewards I,
relent bit and they publicly censureC
the trainer and ordered him not to star
the horse again during the meeting.
Later It was learned that the cas-
will be referred to the stewards Of tn
Jockey club for further action.
Recount Wins Stake.
The Fordham selling stakes was tn
feature OF the programme. In 1t hv
high class platers measured strides. o
the quintet Andrew Miller's Recount
which was an odds on favorite wo
easily by three lengths, with Woodtra
second and Grundy third
Koh-I-noor set the pace for three
quarters of a mile and then quit AS sh
faltered Woodtrap and Recount chal
lcnged and a duel resulted to the hea
of the homestretch. There Woodtra
showed the effects of too much racin
and began to stop, while Recount weI
on and won eased up.
Sea Mint the handsome chestnut col
belonging to Thomas Fortune Ryan, ra
the best race OF his career yesterday an
proved that he is a real high class col
He defeated a select field OF youngster
in the last race and covered the six fur
long course on a heavy track In III
good time Of II 3-5.
He displayed a great burst of earl
speed and stepped the first furlong
oil, the quarter In 023 and the three
Fights in 0:35 In trying to follow TIL
terrific pace his opponents were staggel
ing when the homestretch was reache
and Sea Mint had little difficulty in VIII
,Nn1 nv a length and a half St ALA