The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-01-04
TODAY'S
SPORT
PARADE
BY HENRY McLEMORE
UNITED Press Staff Correspondent

(UMlteu EFeo8 6bAhk O~EEeeRVssN0hV
Los Angeles, Jan. 4-(Up)-Flfty.
five years ago Christopher ]. Fitz-
gerald started races OF the old Nom
mouth Park race track sounding q
roll on drum.
At santa Anita yesterday, where
he Is now presiding steward, he ar
ranged for mo TO ride out with
starter George (Red) Palmer and
see the horses sent away from the
new electrical gate that Is revolu-
tionlzing racing In the west.
It 10 simplicity itself, this new
device with thereafter pompous title
Of the Santa Anita Westinghouse
magnetic control gate. Even TO O
man like myself, who would have
trouble understanding the workings
Of q sun dial, Its operation ~ like
A. B. q.
The heavily padded stalls have
wire gates In front which are held
closed by magnets. They can DO
opened only by o push on o button
BY the starter. When he, working
from his stand by the side OF the
track touches the button the cur.
rent Is broken, the magnets cease
TO have their holding power, and the
gates fly open. There rs no chance
Of any gate or group Of gates fail.
Ing 10 open because there are no
locks, bolts or mechanical parts In
Voived. The very fact that the gates
shut Is proof that everything Is In
order and must open when the
starter cuts of the current.
This eliminates any possibility OF
tampering with any OF the gates,
and there Ia 10 chance for O horse
to DO locked In while the rest OF the
field is released, as has happened
with other type starting gates.
For the sake OF the veteran hors.
o., who are used TO starting with
the clang Of q bell, the bell now
doesn't sound until O fraction OF O
second after the starter pushes his
button and the gates are open. This
eliminates the danger Of having 0
horse charge into the gate before y
Ia fully opened. AT first, the bell
rang simultaneously with the break
ing OF the current, and the horses
were crashing into the gates, 10
eager were they TO got away at the
sound Of the bell.
Since the new gate was introduced
tho time required for @ start has
been tremendously reduced. The
time for @ start now averages less
than O minute. Last year q starter
was considered not only good but
lucky 10 get the horses away three
minutes after they reached the
post.
The new gate hasn't robbed the
starter Of his importance, however
He Ia Just as vital as ever, the only
difference being that no now does
his work In O much shorter time.
Jockeys still try to beat the gun,
lust as they did In the past, by
keeping their horses edging forward.
And q starter must guard against
pressing the magic button until oil
horses are soiidly set. While the
new gate limits the space IN which
q horse can rear and buck and
prance, II. still allows room for them
10 be off balance and out Of line.
Starter Palmer told mo that the
public and the horses have taken 10
the gate whole-heartedly, and that
all that Ia needed TO make II the
biggest asset racing has had In
years Is the confidence OF the
Jockeys.
"If the Jocks will Just come TO be-
iieve that the new gate gives every
one Of them the same Incline start"
he said, Ut will make for the most
perfect racing starts the turf has
ever seen. They are still trying to
beat the gun q little bit, as they
still can't forget the old gates where
q smart Jockey could occasionally
get an advantage. II they'll Just
learn To sit quietly on their horses,
we'll get 90 perfect starts out Of q
l00."
Yes, there's 10 doubt but that the
new gate Is better. ] was able to
lose eight races In three hours and
q half yesterday. whereas my cid
record OF eight straight defeats was
four hours flat. That gives q man
an extra half hour In which to
work on his budget.