The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-29
I a1r a. H.aCHR4

~. ftsA't HIN
Eight years ago when light haf-
ness racing was In its infancy eacn
course operated under it's own code
Thif was continued until almost all
nt taen were hlenAe1 by the New
York Tr0tt4nE club H.. rules Ntre
usea uatu the National Trottlng As
s9c!atlon was organized in 1870. since
that date its code has been the basis
81 3r6sting rules al over the wpFt1
the only modification being in Rus
STA, where horses are CLASSIFIED by
their winnings
frorn 1870 10 lol3 horses were
classified b. records In l9lA the
wihracf was ADOPTED Under II only
tha time made by the Winners Of
races is considered in determining eli
ethtlisy
In 1870 there was from eighteen
te TWENTY aecouds between q fire."
for all performer And tho s1oa- class
races. while the margin between the
free t6r al and the frsJ class race
on programme was five or Sax
seconds This left plenty q material
for the free for alis ard every horse
in training could get n race.
Today there is but three seconds
between the limit % racing speed and
the aTsS class race ON "A mile track
programme while Tho space between
the time made by the winner OF the
fAstest and s7owest class race ls from
FIVE 70 six seconds. WITH the tr0tters
on the mile tracks the limit runs
from a:0a TO . 10 ana with the PAGERS
from 40. to eos On the leading
hals-raile tracks. II runs from . 10 to
c.is fer INC trottcrs and from ~
Ia 2lG for PAGERS This narrow
margin makes i free tor al tret SIN d
possible while the number ~ front
tine PAGERS on the mile tracks is re-
6ucea TO six 10 eight providing they
eli meet at on point When they
separate all that can be given is
specials
The trotter with a winraca Of . 45
or better cannot get an enga cement
this year Under the rules a win
race stands for HE while The time al
iowance is one second year. IN
oiher words, the horses which the
pubic want 20 gee above all othosg
are achorc4 They are Shacklcd by
the records which are stranglng the
kussnesa
System Has Helped
The winraca ana time allowance
system has helped considerably but
the racing life Of 4 fast horse is not
long enough fer one second q 2tar
TO benefit him very much To come
back. the only remedy IS a lay up and
In niEe cases out OF ten the Idle ones
never recover their form.
The time has como Ia change the
eystan,. so that the fastest. perform
or can always get engagements an
both the mile ana half-nilo tracks
AFTER they have shown that they &an-
not win under their present ciazsifi-
cation To DO this tho rules rnust
be abandoned go that these horses
can again re-enter in tho carly clos
ing purses ard class races.
A few sledre hammer blows viii
knock the ahackles of the trotters
and PAGERS. This is the first orc ard
all who are in favor Of a system under
which horse can race so long as b.
stands training are invited 70 fall "
and give II boost.
b Quibbling over entrance fees IL ONLY
chfid's play What 90 they amount
70 X You cannot start What r.
wanted is a system that does not make
horse valueless forever az a rae
ing prospect because he wins in fasc
time
The summaries for the 2f2 and
ALA classes in 1919 on the milo
trick. show tina, the most of them
have been won in fast or faster time
thar the z.oo class, In other words.
th4 newcomers are as fast as the reg
uiArs lettering on the edge of the
Yfee for all
III Al Syracuse. McGregor the Great
ION the 2,iz class In 2B3 Ia. while
33eA ~ In the fastest winfacc made
- the 2.0e class and the fastest heat
&.0S - The same state OF affairs
rr6HaH On the half-miie tracks.
IS me trotters won in from zoe 10
1Stl 4nl the PAGERS in from 2:0s to