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II • Here and There on the Turf I ■ Reigh Count magnificently upheld the honor of the American thoroughbred in England by his gamely fought second to the Irish champion stayer Invershin in the trying two miles and a half of the Ascot Gold Cup. while both John D. Hertz and his charming wife, owner of the great four-year-old, did a big thing for American racing when they took their colt abroad. The horse is a true type, while Mr. and Mrs Hertz typified what is best in American sportsmanship. They took each defeat of the colt with a smile and were the first to greet the winner, while the victory of the son cf Sunreigh and Contessina in the Coronation Cup testified to the popularity of both the colt and his fair owner by the hearty manner in Which it was received by the British sportsm6n. Such invasions of England cannot but do a lasting good for the turf and no matter what the result may be as far as the racing Is concerned they may always be put down as successful in bringing the English and the American sport closer together. And there is a real chance for such a race as the Ascot Gold Cup to be staged in this country. John Hertz, on behalf of the American National Jockey Club, announced that Arlington Park in Chicago proposed staging a race of two miles and a half at wale weight, to which 00,000 would by added by the club. This race is intended to induce the sending over of the best stayers of England, Ireland and France and the prize is one that should bring a response. Cut, apart from the value of the race, this new prize is meant as a fitting test for a real championship of the world. While the invasions of both Papyrus and Epinard were unsuccessful, there would be no like conditions about the running of the new prize and it is agreed that both Papyrus and Epinard were under a distinct disadvantage for the reason that under the conditions they were to do no other racing until there engagement was fulfilled. The proposition of the American National Jockey Club would carry no such restrictions and it would be possible to give candidates from abroad the same conditioning races that would be open to the native aspirants. The proposition for this race could not come with better grace from any American sportsman than John Hertz, and no sportsman is calculated to have a heartier response from abroad. While it has been repeatedly set forth that the stall starting device has many outstanding advantages over the old barrier, without the stalls it is agreed that the ideal stall device has not yet been produced. The big advantage in the use of stalls is In the protection that it afforded horses at the starting post. It is a positive guard against a horse being kicked while at the post and that in itself is of vast value and is almost enough to be a sufficient recommendation. Then there are various other advantages, but of course there are some serious objections. One of these objections that can be offered against many of the stall gates is that when they are in position across the track they are a serious menace to a runaway horse. Should a horse get away from his jockey while on the way to the start, and it has happened frequently, it might — and usu-slly would — be impossible to have the machine clear of the track before it would be crashed into by the runaway. That is one of the greatest menaces of the stalls and it Is reason enough for repeating that there still remains much to be done before the machines meet every requirement with perfect safety. This danger, of course, is not found with the stationary stalls that are constructed from starting chutes, leading into the course at the various points. These stalls, the invention of Marshall Cassidy, were used successfully at Bowie, but the mistake in construction there was in having the chute built In from the inner rail rather than entering the track fioin the outer rail. As a result of the construction it frequen ly happened that the horse in the outside stall, which was naturally closer to the track proper than any other, had a decided advantage, and he frequently shut off most of the field as a result. With the chutes entering the track from the outer rail all of this is obviated and as a matter of fact the stalls cause horses to run straight from positioning, whether it be inside or out. and the chance of crowding would be at once eliminated. There are some of the courses where it would be at least inconvenient to build thes? starting chutes from the outside, but with most courses it could readily be arranged, and it would be of vast benefit in the starting. - These stationary stalls are constructed of wood, with tapering sides, and there is nothing that could injure a horse or rider. The fact that they are built risht up from the ground is one of the important features, for there are no bars or braces that might be calculated to work injury. They are wide enough to comfortably take care of a horse, without Riving him room to turn around, and there is nothing terrifying about them, and nothing that should prevent a horse readily to become accustomed to their use. Of those that have been used these stationary stalls, when built in chutes from .he outer rail, seem to be the safest and most practical of the various contraptions that have been used. It has been intimated that the Laurel course, in Maryland, will be equipped with sueh starting devices for the coming October meeting of the Maryland State Pair Association. At Laard it would be possible to con-struit these chutes from the outer rail, at every starting point, and there is every mathematical reason for such chutes giving greater satisfaction than the same device from the inner rail at Bowie, and the Bowie buiIIs cive universal satisfaction despite be-ii K built on the wrong side of the course. In the meantime there will be a practical Asnoaatratloa of still another starting machine darts* the August racing at Saratoga Springs. Richard T. Wilson, president of the Saratoga Association, has ordered three machines, the invention of that veteran starter Mars Cassidy, father of Marshall f — Irtll Who invented the stationary stall gates, and .the Saratoga racing will doubtless eith-r make that new invention one of general use
