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UP TO HORSEMEN TO DO THEIR PART Success or Failure of Racing- in Great Measure Depends Upon Their Co -Operation. Horsemen at the present time have much for which to be thankful. Respite the exigency of a call to battle of the brave, young, sturdy manhood of this country to protect the honor and integrity of tlie nation, it was thought necessary by those in authority to indorse, encourage and promote the production of any equipment that would in any way be of service or value to the boys "over there" under fire, writes Charles K. Rrosxmnu. Consequently the thoroughbred breeding Interests boomed and the Rice tracks flourished, record crowds- attended the races and visitors, owners, employes and stable boys subscribed to the Liberty Loan, War Stamp and Red Cross solicitors with a liberality and zeal that have never been equaled in the history of this or any other country. Xow are "our bruised arms hung up for monuments; our stem alarums changed to merry meetings. Grim visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front," and now we must adjust ourselves to changed conditions and what procedure will lie the best for tin improvement of the breed of horses jn the land. Young trainers must learn how to prepare a horse to go over a "cup course" without exhaustion or injury, for a good, game horse, properly trained, will land a lot of racing. ltRimble, the sire of Ren Rrush. won five "cups" in a single .season, with no detriment to his usefulness as a racer or his subsequent career as a breeder. The half-trained football player or pugilist is the one with whom the accident terminates fatally. So it Is with a race horse. Therefore trainers should have their horses fit. to start in these valuable long distance Rices, for. after all, they are the only races that ire talked about in after years, create a sentinient1 .vita the public for Riclng, and the oiit.v ,one that go to make turf history. The public will forget all about a three-quarters race in a weeks time, but the winuner of a Valuable long distance race will be idolized, not only it the time, but in subsequent years. Would it not. then, be wise as a business proiosition, without any regard to the sentiment attached to the victory Df such a race, or not. considering the hiilo that seems to cluster around the name of so brilliant a performer, if owners and tRiiners would lie more enthusiastic and iersevering in endeavoring to produce the best long distance Jwr .of the season. Enter liberally and start frequently in order that the racing associations caii advertise a remarkable Rice between famous horses that .will lie sure to -tart.- Large crowds will come to witness such a contest, the association will be gratified and the public applaud. It is up to the horsemen to do their part. There is some obligation due to the men who manage the race tracks and make it possible for an owner to win a fortune at. a single meeting When we consider, especially here in the middle west, the improvement of buildings, grounds and tracks, the efficiency and integrity of judges, ban.-, dieappers and officials, the mathematical correctness of all of the clerical employes, the large increase in added money and the number of races given each day. all horsemen must be impressed with the improvement that has taken place in recent years. AN EGREGIOUS MISTAKE, Away back in 1SS9, on Saturday. June 22. Derby day, at Washington Park. Chicago, the day that Spokane beat Sorrento, Retrieve, Proctor Kuott and others, the fifth and last race of the day remember that at the great Washington Park only five races were given at that time on Derby day ivas a race for two-year-olds. Red Light finished first. Protection second, Sis OLee third, Raggage ind others among the "also rails." The judges placed Raggage first and Red Light not ill the first three. A crowd gathered around the judges stand and vigorously demanded that the number of Raggage be taken down and replaced by that of Red Light. The judges, however, would listen to no explanations and ordered the iuhiiIrt of Raggage io be officially rung up. and, as it was the last race of the day. left the judges stand and the grounds. The. bookmakers paid olf on Raggage because lie had been officially declared the winner, although every person that saw the race, with the exception of the judges, was satisfied that an egregious mistake had been made. The. patrons of the track and the horsemen clamored so insistently at the Injustice of the decision that on the following Monday an investigation was ordered. Jockeys were questioned and all available information secured, then the judges conceded that they had made a mistake in the colors and the numbers on the arms of the jockeys. There were no uumliers on the saddle cloth in those days, and gave the race to Red Light. Here was a unique situation for the bookmakers. They had been ordered, officially, to pay off on Raggage and had done so, and the incident so far as" they were concerned was closed. Then come the judges in a couple of days after the race and declare another horse to be the winner, making two winners in the same race. After much discussion and consultation the Washington Park Jockey Club assumed the responsibility. of the mistake and ordereil the bookmakers to pay off on Red Light also, the club reimbursing the bookmakers for the loss occasioned by the mistake, which amounted to a large sum of money. The Judges on this occasion were Col. James F. Robinson, of Lexington, Ky.; Charles Green, St. Louis, and George II. Wheeler, Chicago, prominent and influential citizens of their respective communities, whose honesty was unquestioned and honor un-assailcd. Prominent men were frequently invited to preside at Rice meetings on account of the prestige, dignity and eclat the names might add to the success of the occasion, and a thoroughly efficient racing judge was not then absolutely required. Under present Rieing conditions a mistake of that character could not happen. Therefore, horsemen should be satisfied with the outlook and be willing to do their part.
