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Here and There on the Turf Miami Track Rules. Wise Havana Ruling. Starting Gate Problem. More Distance Races. With his practical knowledge of racing L. A. Cassidy has made some rules for the conduct of the sport at Miami that are decidedly commendable. The racing will be under the general rules of the Jockey Club, with the exception of the claiming race rule, which is patterned after that of Kentucky, requiring that all claimants must have a starter in the race in which they make the claim. But it is in the track regulations that there is much to commend. All claims must bo made fifteen minutes before the running of the race and the claiming box is to be of plate glass so that it may readily be sesn whether or not any claims have been deposited. This in itself is an excellent innovation. Another rule relating to the claiming races is that any horse claimed may be led back to the paddock and not to the stable of his previous owner. There have been cases where a horse after having been claimed has been tampered with before being turned over to his new owner. It is required that the jockeys must be named when entries are made and the names of the riders will be printed on the program. The time of closing the entries is 10:30 a. m. the day before the running. It is required that scratches be announced at 8:30 a. m. the day of the running. All jockeys and trainers will be required to take out licenses, which will cost five dollars each and be issued by the stewards. The moneys so received, as well as all fines, will be put into a fund for the relief of jockeys and the club is not to have any financial benefit from these sources. Still another excellent track regulation is that authorized stable agents will not be permitted to draw any money that may be due his principal without a written order. It has been usual for the agent to assume this responsibility, though there is nothing in the authorization to warrant this privilege. Then, for the two-year-old races, as is the case at Jefferson Park, there is a prohibition against the use of either blinkers or spurs. Altogether there is much to .commend in the track rules for the government of the Miami races. There was an odd ruling issued at Havana a few days ago when jockey C. OMahoney and an exercise boy named Erb, were barred from the grounds during racing hours for a period of fifteen days. The sentence was imposed as a punishment for fighting. The wisdom of the punishment is shown when the punished boys are still permitted to gallop horses in the work houre. That insures that the employers will not suffer an unusual hardship while the boys are working out the sentence. The sentence against Erb permits him to return to the stable of his employer to sleep at night, but he must not be on the grounds after 8 oclock in the morning when he is supposed to be through with his exercising. OMahoney, who is in the cm-ploy of the J. O. .Keene stable, is permitted to remain on the track until 11 oclock in the forenoon, but he must not work for other than his contract employer and must leave the track at the prescribed time. The punishment of riders is frequently much of a problem, but these punishments seem to be eminently fair to the employers of the offenders. The old method of imposing a fine as a punishment is seldom heard of in these enlightened days of turf punishment, as far as the riders are concerned, and it is well that the fines have been to a great extent abolished. Probably not once in fifty times is a jockey required to pay his own fine. A fine for some infraction of the rules, particularly in the race riding itself, is almost invariably taken care of by someone else, and unfortunately by some one usually that may have profited by the offense of the jockey. That makes a fine of no consequence and the jockey does not fear that kind of punishment. A suspension is a different matter altogether. When a jockey is suspended from the saddle it is a real punishment for it deprives him of his fees. Of course the contract employer is also deprived of the services of his rider, but it is a part of the contract employer to see to it that his employe bshaves himself. These lads are not lost to their employers for the drudgery of their labors, but they are barred from participating in the racing itself. It seems to have been a wise and just punishment. Marshall Cassidys new starting gate has created some litth stir and there will be widespread interest in just how it behaves when in actual use. Ever since the first barrier was used there have b2en barriers suggested. Some of them never went beyond the stage of suggestions, while some others were devised that are still in use. One barrier, and the cheapest of them all, was the stretching of a rubber tubing across the track, behind which the horses were lined up. It was fast to the outside rail and released by the starter from the inside rail. This snapped over to the outside when the trigger was pulled and for simplicit3T it could hardly be beaten, but it could hardly be considered a success. Just as this was- simplicity itself, if hardly to be recommended, there were other cumbersome affairs constructed from time to time and few of them went as far as even a public trial. But much thought has been expended on this end of racing and there is still much to be wanted before the ideal barrier is discovered, unless it should so happen that the Marshall Cassidy invention solves the problem. In this connection it might be said that Mose Goldblatt has engineers working at this time on suggestions for the ideal barrier to be used at ihz new Ohio track at Coney Island, near Cincinnati. Mr. Goldblatt realizes the importance of the barrier in racing and, while it would easily be possible to obtain any one of the many that are in use at the present time, he is desirous of having a machine for the Coney Island racing that will be an improvement on the best of the present day. It is a praiseworthy desire and, if the efforts of Mr. Goldblatt bring about any material improvement on the existing machines, he will have done a big thing for racing. ; The Jefferson Parkl: Fail Association continues to offer an excellent percentage of races over worth-while distances and J. B. Campbell is to be congratulated in the excellent results he is obtaining as Secretary. These distance races never fail to be popular spectacles and it is usual that they bring about good contests. Horses that have been considered as little more than ordinary sprinters frequently develop staying qualities when put to such a task and the secretary that insists on such races .will fill his programs end at the same time please the public better than with the trifling sprints. At Jefferson Park Wednesday there was a mile and a half race, under claiming conditions, and it resulted in the best finish of the: day. Richelieu, and Wild. Life fought it out des,-. perately through the stretch with the first named winner by only a nose and he had established! a new track mark for the distance when 2 :34 was hung out as thfr running timel
