The New York herald., 1921-03-13
System Now in Vogue on
TrOtting Turf Not New
by Any Means.
NEW RULES IMPROVE
Union Associations Code Will
Bring All Contests to Clean
Cut Decisions.
by GURNEY G. CUE.

1TOttlng ASSOCIATION ana the AInerl-
can Trotting Association for amalga-
mating the two organizations have
been definitely broken off and the u.
L. A., which embraces most of the
leading mile tracks of the country as
well as a majority of the Grand Cir
cult tracks. will go II alone. This was
finally decided at a meeting in New
York on Thursday of the committee
chosen to conduct negotiations with
the A. T. A. It's members-David NJ.
Look, A. II. Cosden and Hal White
were unit in voting not to accept
the terms Of merger proposed by the
A.. T. A. Earlier In the week Mr..
Look. who is president of the U. T. A.,
attended a meeting of Pennsylvania
track managers at Harrisburg and
found them strongly opposed to the
whole amalgamation programme.
Whatever may have been the lack
VI aggressive action on the part of the
horsemen who launched the U. T. A.
! year ago. they are now making UP
sor lost time and will shortly publish
a code of rules for harness racing
which IS considered to be a distinct
Improvement over that of the A. T. A.
particularly in its system of determin-
Ing the winner in races limited to
three heats, of which there are very
many nowadays. in and out Of the
Grand Circuit.
When horse has won the first two
heats OF such a race under their new
rules the contest Us over, SO far as he
is concerned He takes first money
and goes on record as the winner of
the race. The beaten horses then go
another heat for a portion Of the
purse. another portion of which Is dis
tributed according to their positions
IN the first two heats. To all intents
and purposes a three heat race thus
becomes a two in three race, with
consolation heat for beaten horses.
Open Door for Fraud.
Under the rules OF the A. T. A. and
the National Trotting Association, the
three heat system OF racing is frequent
ing the door for much barefaced fraud
when there is public betting on tho
heats. These rules require all starters
to go three heats. and IT often happens
that after a horse has won the first two
heats. which give him first money, re-
Eardless of his position in the final heat,
long as he escapes the flag. he is
beaten by some other horse. leaving
everybody in doubt as to whether he
Is really best. The finale in such cases
is somewhat suggestive of a prizefight
in which a boxer beaten to the ropes
in the last round might be declared the
winner on the strength OF what he had
done before he was knocked out.
Despite the fact that 1t often fails in
what should be the first purpose OF
horse race. namely. TO determine which
Is the fleetest and stoutest horse. the
three heat system has come into quite
general practice in the last few years
II has the advantage over the old three
in-five system OF holding out strong
inducement for every driver TO try for
the first two heats. 1t is popular with
the trainers who control most Of the
horses for the reason that II never re-
suits in long drawn out contests, and
thus enables them to know better how
70 train their horses for what they will
be asked to do. Track managers like
II when public betting on heats is per-
ritted, because II increases their returns
by about threefold as compared with
races In which all betting Is on the final
result
Tvo-in-Three Best.
Though almost everybody admits that
the two-in-three system OF racing is the
best one of ALL 1t makes little headway
because. as Everett l.. Smith. manager
OF Poughkeepsle's successful Grand Cir
cult meeting last year, said the other
day, there are not always enough horses
to make up a weeks programme OF
Euch short races. Ii would require about
five day. Horses could race two or
three times at meeting. however. II
only heat winners were allowed to start
after the second heat.
The system provided FOR by the new
Union rules seems to have all the ad-
vantages OF two-in-three and yet escapes
the common objection to that system by
iengthening all races to at least three
heats, while bringing every race to a
clean cut decision at IN, end.
X Is n common belief among horse
men that the three Heat system is or
recent origin and peculiar to harness
racing. Orton's Turf Annals OF York
and Doncaster" shows. however. that a
similar plan was In vogue on the run
ming turf in England more than 200
years ago. In reporting the first race
On record at York. In 1903. Orton says
According to the articles or racing at
this time the horse that won the first
and second heats was obliged 70 start
In the third. and II he did not save his
distance the third heat he was not en-
t.tled TO the plate" The race ended
with the third heat.
John G. stcvens's Plan.
Long after this three heat system
and nearly all heat races we're obsolete
IN England John G. stevens OF New
York. who matched American Eclipse
against the world" In tho first great
sectional race between the North and the
South. proposed almost the same identi-
cal plan for deciding races at the Union
Course on Long Island In long letter
TO the Spf'vt Of the Times In 1896 the
famous sportsman presented strong
plea for doing away with three In five
heats for the runners, his argument
being that the skill Of an experienced
manager often counted for more than the
powers Of the horse In suchs races
through laying up heats and combining
to beat the favorite.
There Is yet another inducement to
s3fss change" he said. and though last
n will not be deemed least In the eyes
OF those who own the horses or those
who witness their exertions--HumanIty
How many OF those who witnessed IN
fhefr memorable race the EFFORTS Of Black
Maria and Trhe for three successive
hents, and their struggles for a fourth
WITH a competitor comparatively fresh
Who that was present that day and