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Here and There on the Turf Blunders of Officials. Criticisms of Cassidy. Assistant Starters Needed. A Big Day On the Turf. The happening of Thursday at Aqueduct, when Jolly Roger was disqualified in the Bay-side Steeplechase, was just one more striking evidence of the need for paid stewards on New York race courses. The disqualification of Jolly Roger was a wise ruling, but the stewards should have seen to it that the disqualification wa; properly shown on the result board before leaving the stand. The ruling was an eminently just one, but the full ruling should have l cen carried out before the stewards left the stai.d. Th fact that Brantome was posted as the tnird horse in the race, though a stablemate of the disqualified Jolly Roger, was a serious mistake. Then when the "red board" was dis played, making the finish official, it was natural that there should be consternation on the lawns and in the stands. Then, after an unreasonable delay, there came a change and Brantome was set back and second place awarded Fredden Rock, the horse that had finished fourth. A happening of this kind cannot fail to weaken the confidence of the racing public in the skill of the officials. The confidence is sure to be weakened when any change is made after the displaying of the "red board." It shows that a mistake has been made and any mistake of that sort is a costly one, as far as public confidence is concerned. It makes no difference whether or not the rules for steeplcchasing read "may" or "shall" be disqualified in regard to action against a stablemate of a disqualified horse. The fact that the change was made is what is of vital importance. Brantome played no part in the foul of Jolly Roger, but the fact that he was later on set back indicates that the stewards had intended disqualifying the pair, but they did not remain in the stand long enough to see that the ruling was carried out on the result, board. Sitting in judgment on races is a high office on any race course and the only stewards that should serve are men who will take the job seriously. They must not be invited to the stand out of compliment to fill in the vacancy of a regular appointee who may l e absent. With paid stewards, carefully chosen, there would be no occasion for any volunteer stew ards. They would thoroughly appreciate the imjH rtance of the office and could be depended upon to administer the rules of racing at all times. From time to time there have come severe criticisms of the starting of races. As long as horses are raced the starter will be a shining mark for talk ami Mars Cassidy is no exception to the others. The others are abused just about as much, and possibly more, than Cassidy, but the fact that he is employed at the New York tracks, with the big New York crowds, may make it seem that he has more abuse than any of the others. Ninety per cent of those who are loudest in their criticism of Mars Cassidy never see racing anywhere but near New York. They know nothing of the work of other starters and they are not qualified to sit in judgment. But the saddest of all the critics of Cassidy are those who would fix rules for his starting. They would undertake to tell him how to send horses away, though it has been a life work with him, and a work so skillfully performed that New York has continued him in his important office for a long term of years. Just now much of the abuse is directed against the track staff employed by Mr. Cassidy. Of course, much of that resulted from the unfortunate start in the Belmont Stakes, in which Espiuo and Rock Star were away so badly as to have little chance. Espino was being handled by a track man, but as a matter of fact it was necessary that he be so handled and probably he would have been away in even worse style, had it not been for the track crew. Any attempt to have a rule that would prohibit track men from handling horses whde the- are at the barrier would at once bring about no end of confusion and there never has been a starter who could obtain results with such a rule. The handling of horses at the barrier must always continue if the starting i? to be successful and that handling is for the protection of other horses as well as the horse that is being handled. The lunging, fractious animal must be straightened out at the barrier, if he is to have a chance, and it is doubly important that he be handled to see to it that he does no injury to the other horses. That is reason enough for the track crew and reason enough for the handling of horses at the barrier. Starters are only interested in having a fair alignment with as little delay as possible. That may only be obtained by the assistance of a capable track crew. Only one man is qualified to make rules for that crew and he is the starter himself. He is there to get results and no starter has served a longer term or served with more distinction than that rame Mr. Cassidy, against whom there has been and always will be no end of criticism. Saturday is a big day for the turf. At the Collinsville course of the Fairmount Jockey Club there is the Fairmount Derby, at a mile and a quarter. At Latonia there is the En quirer Handicap, at a mile and a sixteenth, with 15.000 added, and at Aqueduct the Queens County Jockey Club will stage its Queens County Handicap, at a mile, to which ,000 is added. Naturally the chief attention is directed to the Fairmount Derby with the promised meeting of the East and the Middle West. Haste. Joseph E. Wideners Withers Stakes winner, and Rock Man, from Mrs. Margaret Emerson Bakers Sagamore Stable, are the dependencies of the East, while the sterling E. R. Bradley pair, Bagenbaggage and Boot to Boot, are looked upon to defend the Middle West. At Latonia and at Aqueduct the Saturday features are of holiday characted and. altogether, it is one of the truly important days of the present season. «
