The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-05-05
Win atAny
Cost Bad
imports
By KIRK MILLER

"NSS SOSS~
There is entirely too much of
q tendency in American sports
to win at any cost and explain
afterward.
They are writing such
phrases about us in other coun-
tries, England in particular,
and recent events give them
every reason to bleat about
tactics this country employs in
order to win, not only its
events abroad, but the events
within its own boundaries.
Even the World Series
Now take the case of the Ken
lucky Derby. And if you don't
wish to take that case, take the
one of the Santa Anita Derby.
If neither of those cases strike
your fancy, take the case Of the
last world series.
There were undoubtedly pro
nounced lack of etiquette adopted
by princials in all three Of those
events.
Jockey Ira Hanford, now set
down for Is days, won the Ken
lucky Derby on Bold Venture last
Saturday by tactics which even
the Kentucky racing Solons admit
are short of honorable.
Apparently, Hanford's idea is to
win-no matter how.
He knew all he had to do was
to get Bold Ventures nose across
the wire first and that the posi-
binty of q disqualification in so
important a race was as remote
aS q second Clusters massacre.
Win at ANY Cost
Win, and explain later, is too
frequently the code adopted in
important turf events in this coun-
try. It was the code at the
Kentucky back in 1888, when Don
Meade on Brokers' Tip, the win
ner, and H. w. Fischer on Head
Play, which finished second, were
suspended for 80 days as a result
Of rough riding.
That was another year when
the boys decided to win at any
cost and let the suspensions fall
where they may.
This questionable turf code has
not been particularly confined to
the Kentucky Derby. It seems to
me that Top Row was declared
victor of the rich Santa Anita
Derby last February by dint of
some such queer tactics on the part
of Jockey Wayne Wright, who, the
pictures plainly proved, cut in
badly on RoSemont and Time Sup
ply.
Too Smart to Squawk
In the same breath, let me re-
mind you that this identical
Wayne Wright, the jockey aboard
the favorite, Rrevity, who ran Sec
ond last Saturday in the Derby,
was too smart to voice any pro-
test against Hanford'S tactics.
All of such golngS-on take the
Louisville and the Santa Anita
events quite out of the realm of
clearly contested sports. Tens Of
thousands of people devote a great
deal of time and money to travel
ing long distances to these events
and they are entitled to witness a
fairly conducted, gentlemanly
raced event.
It may take a new generation
Of jockeys to guarantee this. Or
it may take much sitter penalties
than have yet been handed down,
but racing owes it to its very name
to eliminate foul tactics and rough
riding in rs bic spectacleS as well
as in its selling platter SprintS.
The Cubs Also Guilty
Yea, the code of win at any
cost" has little place in sports.
The Chicago Cubs made up their
minds last october they were going
to win the world series-at any
cost.
In the very first game they
started riding Hank Greenberg.
When Gent1emanly George Mo
riarty interceded in behalf of the
greatest Jewish ball player the
game has known, the Cubs decided
to ride George.
But you don't win baseball
games cat any cost" when Mort.
arty is umpiring, even though
Judge Kenesaw Mountain Lands
straddled the fence when he
handed out fines and reprimandS.
Editors Note: Observe Bur-
riS' Jenkins stirring editorial
cartoon in the adjoining column
for his reaction toDGrd the eUil
rough riding Which has sprung