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REVISION OF CLAIMING RULES Judge Murphy Gives Views on Growing Necessity for Such Changes. Says Owner of Horses in Such Classification Must Be Protected Against Evils Now Being Practiced. Joseph A. Murphy, widely known racing official and a director in the Chicago Business Mens Racing Association, sees a growing necessity for revision of the claiming rules which govern a great majority of races run on American tracks today. Interviewed on the subject, Judge Murphy, who is one of the countrys foremost turf authorities, says that owners of horses in this classification must be protected against the evils which are practiced under the rules as they are almost universally in vogue at present. Judge Murphy said: "Whether we like it or not, there is no question that claiming races have become the foundation of our racing programs and, as a consequence, the rules governing this type of races are of vital importance. "There are probably between 12,000 and 15,000 thoroughbreds in active training in the United States and 70 per cent of these must run for ,000 or less to have a chance to win. We have between 4,000 and 5,000 foals a year and once put to racing these young horses quickly find their places in racing. By September of their two-year-old seasons, 70 per cent of them are selling platers. UNIVERSAL USE. "The claiming rule at present in almost universal use reads as follows: In claiming races any horse is subject to claim by any one registered in good faith for racing at this meeting and also starting a horse at this meeting such a starter includes all horses that go to the post up to and including the race in which the claim is made, or by his authorized agent, but for the account only of the owner making the claim or for whom the claim was made by the agent. "In some jurisdictions," Judge Murphy continued, "any claimed horse must not be entered for thirty days after the claim for less than 25 per cent above the price for which it was claimed. Theoretically, the rule is all right, but conditions have arisen and abuses have oapt in which are worthy of review by the brightest minds in racing.; The way the rule works out is this: Some one can pick up a cheap horse, ship it to Arlington and run it in a ,000 claimed race. He can then sit back armed with the authority to take at the entered price any horse irrespective of its class that may run in a claiming race. This is not a fair equation of privilege. Of course, theoretically again, when a man enters his horse for a certain price he should be willing to take that price, but some means should be devised where those privileged to claim should be made at least to put in jeopardy some horse of equal valuers an essential requisite for the right to claim. HANDICAP HORSES. "The object of the claiming race is to give owners a chance to classify and handicap their own horses. The association is not in the horse trading business and its only interest is to provide equally balanced horse racing for the public. "Racing secretaries will tell you that they have increasing difficulty in filling races for horses from ,800 and up in claiming races. I believe the present rule is in part to blame. Many owners whose horses should run for ,000 or about that are afraid to run where they belong. They have found from experience that if they move into higher brackets they are hopelessly overmatched. They have further found that if they continue to over-place their horses they wind up without any purse or any horse. You can break the heart of a thoroughbred by overmatching it just like you can break the heart of a human being. In an effort to keep this class of race on the program, racing secretaries often use their personal influence to persuade owners to fill races with horses that do not belong. The result is that a couple of horses fight it out and the others straggle in. This is not , horse racing and is unfair to the horses and public alike. COMPROMISE POSSIBLE. "I presume that advocating a return of the closed claiming rule where only those who have horses in the particular race arc eligible to claim would be branded as reactionary. It might be that a compromise , might be reached, where the open claiming rule would prevail for horses that run for ,000 or less and the closed rule for horses that run above that price. We discriminate in racing by offering larger purses for the better class of horses and there is no reason why a man who strives to piece together a stable of decent class should be placed at the mercy of some man with a nickel horse. Racing stewards, provided ample authority by the rules of racing, could see to it that no one will be permitted to run a cheap horse, with no possible chance to win, merely for the purpose of claiming a horse." Judge Murphy also favors a revision in the claiming rule to provide that only winners which have been claimed be required to run for increased prices, pointing out that often the raise renders horses useless for thirty days. He observes that the claiming rule is the only one in racing which penalizes a beaten horse. When the present rules were introduced, Judge Murphy says he subscribed to them wholeheartedly, but he now believes they need revision to curb growing practices which he says should be frowned upon. i t - , I ! , . : : : l ; I ! l ; ; ; 1 ; , I j . , , , . . , . ,
