Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-11-23
BY w. H. GocHER

The proposed amendment to the rules
Of light harness racing, under which
hcYses that have failed to reduce their
winraces in two years will be restored
to the slow classes has met with al
most the unanimous support of all the
associations that have made reports
ON the subject A few owners, howev-
er, appear to be of the opinion that the
restoration of outclassed horses to the
slow classes will discourage what they
cali the little fellows from bringing
cut green horses.
In this respect they have overlooked
the fact that the rating of the big or
little fellow is fixed by the quality OF
his racing material whether 1t is green
or developed. Those who follow the
turf know that an owner may be rae
ing or the mile tracks this year while
next season he may be in the bushes.
In other words, his route Is fixed by
the speed of his horses. This also ap-
plies to trainers as well as owners.
They 60 where they think they can
win. not where 1t looks easy, as exper
, fence has taught everyone that a few
walkovers except at meetings where
the fields arc 80 light that the asso-
citation is compelled to make UP spec
ials and give each starter specified
amount, regardless OF his position at
the finish of the race.
WOULD REMEDY SHORTAGE
The restoration Of over six thou
sand horses to the slow classes will
prevent this. There Is also no one dis
guising the fact that there Is short
age of trotters and PAGERS. From 1914
to 1918 there was drop of almost
| fifty per cent in the number of new
$50 performers and this year will not
| show an increase. The figures in 1914
were 1924 trotters and 1868 PAGERS
while in 1918 tho returns were SIS trot-
ters and ISL PAGERS.
The fair associations which give ov-
er seventy-five per cent Of the race
| meetings each season must have horse:
to fill their classes and If they canno
get them, there is but one remedy and
that is to substitute some other form
Of entertainment for their patrons
| Whether tho gallopers, athletic f'ents
auto racing or shows will take TIT
place of the trotters and PAGERS rest
with those who can see far enough
ahead to bridge the gap in the ligh
harness racing world until increased
production which cannot fail to fol
low the strong demand and highe
prices which home and foreign buyer
are now paying.
On the running turf horse can b
raced as long as he remains sound
Cine year he may be in the stakes, tn
next in the handicaps, and the follow
ing one in selling races, but regardless
, Of that fact he can always start wit
o. chance OF winning and his owne
can always find races for him. Wit
the trotter, the waste has been appal
, ling for years. Horses were plentiful
and no one considered it worth Will
to call a halt. After a year or two
, clever performer reached top form an
disappeared, not because he was I'm
sound or raced out, but because h
! could no longer win in the class /
which he was eligible. For years thes
> horses found place on the roads o
, speedways but both of these market
! are closed and all that Is left now
matinee clubs or back to the farm.
: TEMPoRiziNG PROPOSED
4 A few advocate an increased time al
lowance for horses that are outclasse
! in the fast events. This would hel
t o little in some places, but in the ma
3 jority of cases it would drop the horse
r into events with troters or PAGERS tina
r have been specially prepared for theI
: and which before the end of the sea
son are racing almost as fast as tn
3 free for alters. This was shown by TIL
A 2:10 and 2:12 classes on the mil
4 tracks and in the IL and 2:15 classe
: on the half-mile tracks this season
: A brief survey of the eastern hall
lmile track meetings shows what out