The Washington herald., 1922-11-23
MILLER CAUSES
NEAR RIOT AT
BOWIE TRACK
Following Poor Start, Crowd
surues Upon Track, and
Trouble Narrowly Ayerted.
By LEONARD W. COLLINS.

ny LEONAnD w. OOLLkNSs
vYYASHNGTON'S patronage
w Of Prince Georges Park
W may show q big drop nu-
merically II steps are not i'm
mediately taken by the officials
in charge Of the Southern Mary
land course which viii result in
the assurance Of more truly run
races. The truly run race at
Prince Georges Park is getting
to be the exception and not the
rule.
No greater barometer Of q
sports popularity can be had
than that reflected in the daily
attendance or the number which
pass through the turnstiles- With
out the spectators, who in the
majority Of instances are the
SPECTATORS, no racing association
can hope to conduct a financially
successful meeting.
1t II the public which pays rae
ing's freight and as IL is their right
they at least should be given some
protection on the investments they
make Picking winners is a tough
Assignment from any angle, but why
add to II through Incompetent start
ing?
HONESTY NOT ISSUE.
The honesty of racing as con-
Quoted at Prince Georges Park is
not the issue. Neither are General
Manager James f. O'Hara, the
stewards or judges being censured
for the manner in which the meet
ing Is being run off. The thorn in
the side of Bowie patrons is proving
to be none other than Starter
George Miller.
Miller, personally. Is as hkeable a
chap as one would care to meet in
q days journey. but your average
racing fan forgets personality when
he sees his pair of dollars go up in
smoke through a wholly incompe-
tent start
Throughout the present meeting
Miller's work has been highly un-
satisfactory. Horses heavily played
have been eliminated from the con-
tention right at the break. Others
have even been left flat-footed. 1t
sometimes happens that a thorough
bred will refuse to break at the
rise of the gate. but the charts are
showing entirely too many nota-
tions: Start bad" start poor"
Start struggling" and Start good
for all but Goat and Nag"
DISCONTENT ON INCREASE.
For several days there have been
heard on all sides murmerings Of
discomfort among the spectators
over the manner in which Miller
has been dispatching the fields
which lined up at the barrier. And
this discomfort has spread until
1t has reached the paddock.
The climax was reached yester-
day afternoon when in the sixth
race Miller sprung the webbing
after George l.. Goodacre's All Fair
had broken under the wire and
was four lengths out in front be-
fore the rest of the field got into
motion. The start was Immediately
greeted with a hoot and roar of
derision from the stands.
With the big advantage already
gained. All Fair continued running
and was home a length and one
half ahead of the opposition. AS
the field passed the finish there
was a general surge on the part
Of the crowd toward the judges
stand. and for a moment it looked
very much as though a riot was
imminent.
CROWD IN UGLY MOOD.
Cooler heads. assisted by the
track officials. took matters in
hand and order was restored. The
crowd was in an ugly mood and
throughout the intermission be-
tween the sixth and seventh races
milled around the judges pagoda
hurling vile ephithets in Miller's
direction. There were any number
who continued their abuse while he
was aligning the field for the
start of the seventh race.
Washington patrons of Bowie, on
their way back to the city last
night. were outspoken in their
determination that. unles remedial
measures are Immediately taken by
General Manager O'Hara and his
associates. their presence at Bowie
will be conspicuous by it's absence
during the remainder of the meet
ing.