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Aqueduct By Chuck Connors Rains Welcome at Long Island Tracks Make Strips Safer for Horses and Riders Winnie OConnor First to Use Goggles AQUEDUCT, L. I., N. Y., June 24. The rains came during the night and the racing strips were well soaked which proved a blessing for all concerned. The soil composition of the three Long Island strips, unike those in other sectors of the country, contains a large percentage of sand and as a result are porous, and thus never bring about what can be called sticky mud. However, during dry weather, and despite the frequent waterings by the track "maintenance crews, 2 soil contents develops into a hazard for certain horses. The sharp brittle rocklike sand grains inflict minor cuts about the feet, ankles and fetlocks. Furthermore, the fine grained sand in flying back from the feet of the leaders in a race sometimes acts as a deterrent to horses unused to racing under such conditions. The sand whipped against a horses face, striking the eyes, nostrils and the chest is a hazard that many handi-cappers never take into consideration. Horses sometimes flinch under such beatings from the soil composition and will not extend themselves, but will swerve to either side in an effort to escape the beating. While the hide of a horse is looked upon as heavy and strong, and as such seems capable of repelling such onslaughts, it is not the case. The hide also is porous and the fine grains, when kicked back at a good speed, inflict a certain amount of punishment. The eyes are without douBt the most vulnerable spots and horses unlike jockeys are not equipped with goggles. The late E. R. Bradley fooled around with a Series of blinkers equipped with mica covered cups, but they proved worthless. The use of jockey goggles on the American tracks is now looked upon as standard equipment. First Experiment Presented Difficulties The introduction of the eye pieces, according to some of the veterans, goes back a long way, back to the old Emeryville track outside of Oakland, Calif., Winnie OConnor, a topnotch rider of those days, was also an avid auto enthusiast, for the machine age was in its infancy and auto racing was beginning to become a fad. The auto drivers wore big wide goggles, and OConnor bought himself a pair. He tried them during a race at Emeryville, and his appearance so rigged was greeted with the forerunner of the Bronx cheer. Anyway, OConnor decided to go through with the experiment. The day was hot, the weather muggy, the goggles steamed up and OConnor could not get a clear cut picture of what was going on. He tossed the goggles away. Well, sometime later improvements were made and the goggles were again brought up and now every apprentice buys his goggles before he gets a shot at his first race. Jake Friedman, the little man under the ten-gallon sombrero, relayed word from Las Vegas that he will be on for a spot of New York racing the latter part of this month . . . Jockey Henry Moreno will pack his boots and saddles and hie away to Monmouth Park. He will do the riding chores for the Cain Hoy Stable, which will be represented at that track by a sizable division . . . Joe Almeida and the missus came up from Miami Beach for a brief vacation and to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Before hieing themselves away to Florida, Joe was an attache of the Jamaica forces and supervised the cleaning and maintenance of the press box department . . . Rennie Parish returned from a trip to Saratoga Springs to report that work on the National Museum of Racing is progressing steadily. He also stated that the Greentree Stable has a draft of yearlings at their private menage which adjoins the Union Avenue racing grounds. George "Fish" Tappen, first assistant to Jim Fitz-simmons over the years, is back in harness .following a long illness, He is a regular and witnesses the running of the races from a private lookout spot on the rear stretch . . . Trainer Casey Hayes motored over to Monmouth Park to saddle a couple of starters for C. T. Chenery during the afternoon . . . H. F. Guggenheim of Cain Hoy Stable said that a half dozen members of his menage would be campaigned at Monmouth Park. He also added that the main division of the stable would not leave for Saratoga Springs until the latter part of July . . . Harry Heiman, who races under the nom de course of the Apheim Stable, is convalescing from surgery performed at the Utica, N. Y., hospital. He was operated on for an intestinal ailment on Wednesday . . . Stephen "Laddie" Sanford was on hand yesterday for the hurdle race offering. One Time a Trainer Pulled Up Lame Well, you have often heard about a horse pulling up lame after winning a race. Aqueduct came up with a revised version where a trainer pulled up lame. Chester Ross, who trains Little Butts for Jules Schwartz, turned the trick. He was in the centerfield and in his headlong rush rooting his charge home, stumbled, fell and came up with a twisted ankle . . . Jockey Ted Atkinson will ride Caustic, owned by Ogden Phipps, in the Gazelle Stakes on Monday . . . Albert Whitman, the Chicago publisher, was among the afternoon visitors. . . . Trainer Max Hirsch motored over to Delaware Park for the week-end. He has several starters at that point Saturday . . . Trainer Joe Kramer is due here over the week-end with Smart Devil, owned by LouU Lee Haggin H., for her Gazelle engagement.
