The New York herald., 1921-08-11
STEWARDS INQUIRE
INTOQUEER CHASE
Trainers, Jockeys and Layer
Requested to Help Clear Up
Saratoga's Fiasco.
BY HENRY ". KING.

BY HENRY ". KING.
Special Despatch to The NEW yoRK HERALD.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y, Aug. TO-
A cheap steeplechase race marred a good
days sport at the track here this after
noon. 1t was so bad that ii dimmed
the brilliancy of the five other events
which included the Sanford Stakes. won
by Sir Hugh. a sturdy and speedy so,. OF
Light Brigade. belonging to j. n. Cam
den OF Kentucky He won the major
portion of the rich stake like a real
good colt and earned place among
the topnotch Juveniles which ran as con-
tenders for the titular crown. Under a
bad ride by M. Garner, he beat Big
Heart, Column, Deadlock. Olympus Mug
tard Seed, and won easily. At the end
he was two lengths in front of Big
Heart, which was a length before Col-
umn.
Despite the grand effort OF Sir Hugh
and his opponents the big crowd OF
racegoers, which filled the course. did
not enthuse much over the event. They
were still enveloped In a heavy gloom
as a result of the chase. This cross
country affair brought together only
three contestants, and they were OF the
cheapest kind. They were Say Which,
Wisest Fool and Robert Oliver.
Robert Oliver. belonging togJ. Lums-
den, and trained by Jim Healy was the
favorite at even money, but Say Which
was heavily backed and at the post time
had as many. IL not more frieads than
Robert Oliver. Before tine race there
were ugly rumors about the different
horses, and because of them many race
goers refrained from wagering on the
result. Joseph E. Davis. who arrived
here yesterday, was one Of the stewards
for the race, and heard some of the re-
ports and told Jim Healy. trainer of
Robert Oliver, so.
Il know your horse" said the vigi-
liant steward, "and there is only one way
to beat him, that is to send him to the
front, ms | once saw him beaten in
Maryland"
Say Which Leads OF.
Healy agreed with him. For turn
of the field Say Which galioped along
in front with Robert Oliver second, two
or three lengths ahead of Wisest Fool.
At the water jump the second time
around Say Which began to bleed"
and come back to her opponents. At
that time Robert Oliver was on the in
side and Wisest Fool OF the outside.
AS Say Which dropped back she fell
In between them and 1t was noticed
at the time that Wisest Fool was about
to swerve over and carry them out.
But Brady had a tight hold on him
and got him over the obstacle safely.
From that jump on Say Which did not
run any faster than a dray horse,
and when the fourteenth jump on the
back stretch was reached she was a
dozen lengths back and staggering. So
far back was she that her supporters
gave up all hope of seeing her re-
turned the winner.
Then came the utterly unexpected.
While running head and head Wisest
Fool, with Byers In the saddle, was
seen to bolt away from an obstacle,
and when he darted into the infield h.
took Robert Oliver with him. And out
of the course both horses kept going.
They went so far that Say Which stag
gered on and by the cleverest kind OF
handling got over the remaining OBJ
stacles and won easily by twenty-five
lengths. While she was furlong IN
front Wisest Fool and Robert Oliver
returned to the course and completed it,
Wisest Fool finishing second and Rob
ert oliver third.
Mr.. Davis and the other stewards did
not like the race and when the jockeys
returned to the scales they we're wait
ing for them. Byers was cross exam
ined first. He said that Robert oliver
suddenly got 1t into his head to bolt
and he could not stop him.
Many to BE Questioned.
Brady was called next. He said that
Wisest Fool bolted into him and he was
to go as far as he did in the
infied. Kennedy. who rode Say Which.
also was interrogated but his explana-
tion showed nothing more thar the
stewards already knew. Jimmy Nc
Laughlin, the patrol judge. was called.
He was emphatic in declaring that Byers
had done his mightiest TO prevent Wisest
Fool from bolting. The veteran Jockey
AMI horseman was cross-examined but
he insisted that Byers had done his best
to prevent the fiasco. On his testimony
Wisest Fool was disqualified
But that was not the end OF the case
Mr. Davis was not satisfied He wanted
to know what man or set OF men fancled
Say Which and what man or set OF men
believed Robert Oliver would be beaten.
He ordered the track detectives to bring
several men before the stewards. incIud-
ing Trainers Jim Healy. j. II. Lewis and
Il. 9. Helder." The three jockeys---
Brady Kennedy and Byers - and
layer well known to the turf world as
Gloomy Gus"
They VIII be cross-examfned to-mor-
row morning. and Mr.. Davis said that
the men should not feel offended by the
request 10 appear. If they know any
thing wrong about the race they should
want TO help clear tho atmosphere and
help the sport "If we find evidence OF
any wrong doing we will order them
taken by the nape OF the neck and
thrown out OF this course and kept off
all tracks under the control OF the Jockey
Club" said Mr.. Dayis.