view raw text
1" ■ ■ ■ . I ■ ■ ■ ,.«, I Here and There on the Turf Claims Rile Older Trainers Their Squawk Is Legitimate Horses Race Below Their Value July Fourth Business Good "" I Much dissatisfaction has been expressed by the older trainers in the West this season over the operation of the open claiming rule. During the Washington Park meeting and so far at Arlington, the claims have been very heavy, no less than forty-nine having been entered during the opening week at the north side course. A movement has been instigated to seek a change in the rule governing claims, and it will not be surprising if the Illinois Racing Commission, heeding the request of these horsemen, amends the regulation so that only an owner having a starter will be permitted to claim another horse in the race. The principal reason why these horsemen object to the open claiming rule is that they spend much time and money wintering a horse and getting him ready to race and then lose the animal the first time he shows winning condition. They stress the fact that the open claiming does not give them the opportunity to obtain fair value on their investment. Claiming races were brought into existence as a means of classifying horses according to their ability. One method is the handicap, in which the racers are brought together in a theoretical dead heat by weight Another is the allowance method, in which a horse arbitrarily gets weight off for not having won a certain amount of money. The remaining scheme is the claiming race, in which the owner places a set valuation on his horse. For example, a horse worth ,000 to John Jones will meet another steed worth the same amount to Bill Green. With any one in good standing permitted to claim a horse, it acts as a check on an owner running a horse below his true value in an effort to better the opportunity of winning. So many claims have been made during the past six months that it is quite evident that many bargains were available —horses running for less than their true value. This has happened not only at the Chicago tracks, but in Maryland, Detroit, Latonia, Rockingham Park, and at the winter courses. The number of claims has been so high because of the enlarged demand for racing material brought about by the great expansion of racing. A few years ago claims were very few, because the racing centers were limited, ahd racing secretaries had little dificulty filling their programs, even with epidemics of sickness prevailing such as has swept the country during the past month. Nearly every claiming event had many more entries than were necessary to fill. Now it is rare indeed that a claiming race has the maximum number of entries, which usually is a dozen. This gives a plater increased opportunity to earn his way. Formerly he was lucky to race once a week. Now a horse of this class can run every day if he is able to stand up under the grind. The remedy for this condition exciting the older trainers and those who winter and spring-train thoroughbreds, may not be in changing the claiming rule from the open to the closed method, but perhaps in elevating the claiming prices to conform with the earning power of the horses. For example, a horse entered to be claimed for ,000 runs in an 00 race, in which first money is 25. It stands to reason that in good condition he can win his purchase price over and over again during the course of a season. If the horse now running with a ,000 tag on him had to run for ,000 and was claimed, the owner would not feel so bad about it, even if he had carried the animal all winter and spring. A general increase would have to be made along the line with all racing secretaries co-operating in the task of elevating the claiming values. Still another suggestion that has been made to rid racing of the claiming evil is to replace claiming races with graded handicaps. This would require the handicapper to allot weight in accordance with the ability of the horses. With claiming race abolished, any one wishing to obtain a horse would have to buy him. The situation has grown very acute and something will have to be done about it. There is no dismissing the fact that an owner is treated in an unfair manner when he spends a thousand dollars getting a horse ready to run and then loses him at the first opportunity he has of winning a purse. Fourth of July did all right by the various tracks lucky to be operating on that day. Of the mutuel courses, Arlington Park led in attendance and amount of money handled, the crowd running slightly over the 20,-000 mark and the betting above 50,000. Rockingham Park, which has not near the facilities of the Chicago course, had a crowd of 18,000 persons and the wagering was not far short of the half million mark. Latonia, Detroit, Fairmount Park and the other Yankee tracks in operation also reported their Fourth of July business as being the , best of the meeting. Aqueduct could hardly . accommodate its crowd, especially in the . betting ring, despite a program that could J not compare with those offered at the two , leading mutuel tracks. All of this goes to show that with a day off, the sport minded ! folk will put themselves in circulation.
