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I i j , , . , , , , , , INSIDE POST POSITIONS A BIG HELP Statistics Show That Horses Closer to Inside Rail Win Oftener Than Those on Outside. BY EDWARD W. COLE. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y., August 20. Post positions of horses running over the Saratoga track do not have as much bearing on the results of races as they do at some of the other tracks in this state. A recapitulation of the first seventy-seven races run this season here indicates that any position between one and six is good enough. Tiiese two positions, one and six, through some freak of fortune, have provided more than thirty-seven per cent of the winners, while but thirty of the winners came from post position numbers two, three, four and five combined. Small fields naturally make the first half dozen inside rail positions stand out from the other points in the statistics, as a number of the races had less than eight starters. But the figures show that an inside rail position is preferable from any point of starting. This is recognized on all tracks, though there is no visible reason why it should be if the starting gate is set to conform with the track construction, making the distance uniform between the inside rail and outside positions to the first turn. The only other advantage, presumably, is that the footing is faster on the inside rail than on any other part of the track, owing to its being beaten down more by training and racing over it. The strange part of the figures is the fact that number six position provided nearly double the number of winners over any other point excepting number one. This can he attributed to nothing but fortune, or that many good horses drew number six position. Yet the figures accentuate the fact that any post position over the Saratoga track up to number six, no matter what the size of the field, has a slight advantage over horses which are sent off from positions farther out. NUMBER ONE THE LUCKY POSITION. The recapitulation shows that sixteen winners were sent off from number one position, nine from number two, nine from number three, seven frmn number four, five from number five, thirteen from number six, five from number seven, four from number eight, two from number nine, three from number ten and but four from positions located nearer the outer rail. Vancouver was so badly cut down in the second race that Dr. McCully cannot determine the extent of the injury until tomorrow. H.- Neusteter will leave for Kentucky early next week. R. F. Carman lias decided to remain here until the meeting closes, then go direct to Maryland. Col. C. K. Rockwell, who has frequently shown ability in races for army horses, has just returned from Coblenz, being a member of the army of occupation. While in Coblenz he arranged a race meeting for army horses and others, acting as starter, as well as general promoter. While in France he says he saw a steeplechase in which sixteen maidens started, the favorite being a three to five shot. "He proved an easy winner, too," commented the colonel. President It. T. Wilson, acting for the Saratoga Association, today purchased the entire triangular plot of ground running from the main gate almost to Nelson avenue. The purchase was made to give more space for parking automobiles, which lias been found inadequate this year.
