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WEIGHING IN By EVAN SH1PMAN SARATOGA, Saratoga Springs, N. Y., Aug. 18. Shortly before the start of yesterdays racing program, there were two showings of the Saratoga Special film in Marshall Cas-sidys office the first for the press, and the second for the jockeys who had ridden in Saturdays two-year-old feature that saw Mrs. Elizabeth Persons Porterhouse disqualified after winning by a half length from Cain Hoys Turn-to. Normally, viewing these films of the previous afternoons races is a routine matter, but yesterdays showing, we all realized, was something else again, because on the showing to the jockeys, and Eric Guerins explanation of his ride, would hinge whether or not the boy would be permitted to have his usual mount aboard Native Dancer in the American Derby this Saturday at Washington Park. The exclusion of the press from the jockeys showing was because Cassidy 7anted the riders to speak perfectly frankly, and he feared that the presence of "outsiders" might either make them self-conscious, or else cause them to speak "for publication." In our own showing, we could see for ourselves exactly what had happened, and Cassidy promised that, after Guerin, Henry Moreno and the others had had their look at the pictures, we would be given the gist of their comment or explanation. AAA Experience has taught us that, no matter how carefully we watch the running of a race, there are bound to be incidents that escape our eye, or that we do not interpret and evaluate correctly. These films, which can be run back and slowed down in order to re-examine any disputed point during a race, are an invaluable corrective to faulty judgment and faulty vision. In general, we have always deplored what we might term the "mechanization" of modern racing, but these films, are an exception, and Press and Riders View Film Separately Dangerous to Base Judgment on Eye Alone Honest Answers Win Respect for Guerin Operation Improves Form of Me and Valadium we are everlastingly grateful to them for establishing an unimpeachable record. When we wrote several paragraphs yesterday concerning the Saratoga Special, we had not as yet seen the moving picture of that race. We can say now that our broad impression was probably correct, but we did not give the proper importance to the incident that caused Porterhouses number to come down, and for a very simple reason; we did not see it clearly. For the benefit of the press, Cassidy had that portion of the film that dealt with the final quarter-mile of the Special run back several times. When we left his office, most of us agreed that there had been no alternative to disqualifying the winner, whether or not he was "the best" colt in the race. AAA Porterhouse, taken to the inside at the head of the stretch for the drive, collided with Tum-to twice. As we had suspected, Porterhouse drifted out, while Turn-to, for his part, came in a little bit. The second bumping was much the more serious, and this time, Porterhouse practically crossed his rival. Guerin had been making long strokes with his whip, whipping with his right hand and using the whip partly to keep his mount in, and partly for his drive. Turn-to had to be bothered by what took place, even though the Cain Hoy colt must accept some of the responsibility. Guerins fault was that even though he did make an effort to keep Porterhouse in, he was obviously more interested in winning the race than in straightening his mounti Some of the shots dealing with this final quarter of the Special were taken from head-on. The testimony of this part of the film was the most damaging to Porterhouse, but head-on shots, as Cassidy knows very well, do have a tendency to exaggerate anything resembling "crossing." AAA Guerin is a boy with an exceptionally clean record. He is almost never in any trouble with track officials, and the frank statement he made before seeing the film, coupled with his later explanation, demonstrates the kind of honest approach that has earned him universal respect. His use of the whip in this race had been criticized, but, after viewing the film, Guerin said; "I was shaking the whip at my horses head, and if I hit Turn-to, it was by accident, and not more than once." Well, maybe it turned out to be twice, but the film does show that it was purely accidental. After seeing the film, Guerin said, "My horse did come out a bit; his hip hit the others shoulder and swung him. The second time, he did cross him. Maybe I hit his with the whip inside the eighth pole, but not later." The pictures showed that, after the second collision at the sixteenth pole, Guerins mount took four strides before the boy made any effort to straighten him out. When Cassidy asked Guerin why, he replied, "We were Tight at the finish drive and it happened too quickly. I had no time to change." By this, Guerin meant that if he had given his full attention to straightening Porterhouse out, he might have lost the race. It was an honest answer, but it meant that Guerin would be punished, and that, for the first time in Native Dancers career, somebody else would be in the saddle this week end at Chicago. AAA Trainer Billy Post has a pair of very sharp ladies in the five-year-olds mare, Valadium, highweight and proba- Continued on Page FortyThre WEIGHING IN By EVAN SHD7MAN Continued from Page Fifty-Two ble choice for tomorrows Diana Handicap, and Me, a three-year-old filly who scored a rather impressive victory in a mile allowance event for those of her age and sex yesterday. Both Valadium and Me underwent a uterine operation last spring that appears to have done them a great deal of good, but we are at a loss to tell you exactly what this operation involved, or how it has helped. In any case, Valadium and Me are two running tricks. Mrs. C. Oliver Iselins Challenge Me filly required 1:40 to accomplish her eight furlongs yesterday, but it was the fashion in which she disposed of Howell E. Jacksons Ballerina and Green-trees Cherry Fizz that was impressive, the winner looking pounds the best and running over her rivals in the stretch. As for Harry LaMontagnes Valadium, her recent score here over Gay Grecque and a good field at a mile was an excellent prep for tomorrows important Diana, the nine furlongs of which would once have been more than she cared to travel. In her present form, the chestnut Lovely Night mare appears able to get that distance, and the stretch-running three-year-olds, Sabette and Ming Yellow, will have their work cut out for them if they catch her.
