The New York herald., 1922-10-10
GLADIATOR FOUND
DYING IN HIS STALL
Trainer Says Horse Was Given
Drug Surreptitiously Dur
ing Night.
HORSEMEN WANT POLICE
HORSEMEN WANT POLICE
Declare Strangers Should Be
Barred Until Workouts Be-
gin-Duncecap Wins.
by HENRY ". KING.

There Is a miscreant, or several of
them, loafing around the local race
tracks who is likely to be killed any
day. He is not the rascal who places
N sponge in a horses nose. He is
worse. He is poisoning horses. There
have been several such cases at
Jamaica and Aqueduct recently, in
cluding one yesterday morning. and
trainers at all the tracks have ordered
their watchmen to shoot any stranger
entering stable after dark.
+ When Billy Shields reached his stable
at Jamaica yesterday morning he found
Gladiator. the big son OF Superman and
! Lotawanna, at the point of death. None
| of his employees could explain 1t and
7 all swore that they had not been near
the stable after they had been dismissed
for the night and the watchman was
positive no stranger had been on the
grounds during the night. Shields. a
veteran horseman, said a superficial
examination told him the horse had
been poisoned and sent hurry call for
Z DR.. McCully. The noted veterinary con-
firmed the trainers diagnosis and went
to work on the horse and an hour later
reported that Gladiator was out Of
danger but would be unable to race for
some time.
Would Have Been a Favorite.
Gladiator was scheduled to run yes
terday in the third race and in all
probability he would have been favorite
The mscreant undoubtedly knew he
would be one Of the contenders with a
host of friends and his object probably
was to make him run bad race. DR..
McCully said the poison administered
was not the kind used to destroy horses.
1t was a mix concoction apparently used
to give the horse pain and prevent him
from doing his best running in the race.
1t was an overdose that nearly killed
the horse.
The stewards learned about the pol
sonfng but no official action was taken.
They adopted rule last year making
the trainer responsible for his horses.
The trainers know this and are doing
everything in their power to protect
their charges, but the miscreants seem
to be too tricky for them. After yes
teraays affair horsemen We're unani-
NOUS in declaring that the Jockey Club
and different associations could do a
lot toward protecting horses by having
the different tracks polced at night.
This is done in Maryland, Canada and
Kentucky, with the result that one sell
dom hears Of sponeing or poison case
at any of their tracks.
To get into a local racetrack after the
races each day it ought to be made
compulsory to have a badge. The gates
should be locked and every one living
at the track made 10 register when he
arrives and all others kept out.
Poison Administered mt Night.
Shields and DR. McCully are sure the
nojson was administered during the
night. Barring the gates and policing
the grounds would prevent any stranger
entering the grounds. In that way II
would be a much simpler matter to
track a guilty enc IL horse were
sponged or poisoned. Such rule would
not interfere with the clockers. for they
do not reach the tracks until dayhreak,
hut IL II did it would be small loss to
the yacegoers The information they get
IN the morning goes to the men who lay
the odds and a small coterie or pro1es-
sionals.
Another reason why the tracks should
be policed at all times Is to keep men
who are ruled off the turf from entering
the grounds There are several men
who are denied the privilege of the
I'm the mornings. Some of them are re-
puted to be owners.
The Caledonian Handicap. selling
affair at one mile and a sixteenth, was
the feature of an Off day card yester-
day. In II only three horses. Recount,
Costigan and Duncecap, competed.
Duncecap. ridden by Snookums Bell,
was returned the winner, with Recount
second. Bell rated Duncecap along be-
hind the pace until rounding the turn
for home. There he gave her her head
and she bounded along at a fast clip
end taking the lead at the final eighth
pcle went on and won easily by a length.
Little Celt. by Celt. and Little Flower
belonging to Sandy McNaughton. which
Gantner rode wretchedly and to defeat
last week, came back in the last race
and beat n quartet Of Juveniles by near
ly sixteenth of a mile. Sande. who
lad the leg UP on him. let him step to
the front as soon as the barrier was
sprung. The colt was full OF run and
he gained with every stride until at the
end he was eased up frr ahead of his
opponents Sakah chased Little Chief
for half a mile and tired so badly that
Spread Eagle came along and beat him
by a neck for .the second end of the