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-— - ► — — — ; Nagler on Racing Kyle and Breen Discuss Foul Claims at New York Tracks By BARNEY NAGLER BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 22. — Joe Kyle, the clerk of scales, sat behind his desk talking with Johnny Breeri, his assistant, while the racing plant around them was being manicured for the daily truth or consequence program. Kyle war was rirpKSfid dressed npnt.lv neatly in in n a licrhl-. light tan tan suit. suit. The The hhntonniere boutonniere in in his his lanel lapel war was rirpKSfid dressed npnt.lv neatly in in n a licrhl-. light tan tan suit. suit. The The hhntonniere boutonniere in in his his lanel lapel was the badge of his office. The words on his lips were those of a voice of experience. Kyle is an old friend. He has been around the track for years and in his present post as clerk of scales has the job of starting the production line that puts the horses in the starting gate, each loaded with a little man, on the .way toward a decision. This morning Kyle was talking with Breen about foul claims, both here and at Jamaica. Breen is a former jockey who is going through Marshall Cassidys school for officials. Presently, he is learning at Kyles right knee. "When a rider claims a foul," Kyle said, "dont let him get away from you. Ask him immediately who the claim is against. Then men notify nouiy the me stewards stewards immediately. immediately, Time •lime is is important. important." -— - Then men notify nouiy the me stewards stewards immediately. immediately, Time •lime is is important. important." "Of course, but how about Dalton, who finished second the other day and entered a claim not against the first horse?" "Thats unusual," Kyle said. "When he did that I asked him who the claim was against. He said it was against two horses, back at the quarter pole, but he couldnt remember who they were." "Guess in the excitement of riding he didnt see the other horses clearly," Breeh said. "Well, it was unusual," Kyle said, "because it didnt affect the outcome of the race. But it was something we had to look into. We had to get it done quickly because the customers who had action in the race wanted to know what it was all about quickly. , We settled it fast." "There was no foul, was there?" the visitor asked. "No, there was rib foul," Kyle said.. "But this doesnt mean that a jockey was not telling the truth under questioning, even if the film patrol pictures showed something else." "What do you mean? I would think the jeekey surely could be charged with being mistaken." : "Thats true," Kyle said to the visitor, "but a mistake is on the side of honesty, as often as it is on the side of error." "Did you* ever hear about the experiments they conduct in psychology classes," Breen said, "when they test the ability of people to detail the things theyve just seen?" "Experiments in applied psychology?" the visitor asked. "I know one prof who fixed it with a couple of students ,who suddenly broke into a fight. One of them pulled a blank catridge pistol and fired a shot. The class was in an uproar. When it was over the psychology prof asked each student to write his impressions of what he saw:" "What happened?" Kyle asked. "He got a different picture" of what had happened from each student," the visitor said. "Thats what I mean," Kyle said. "When there is a bit of rough stuff in a race, a rider is sure he is telling the truth when it is over. Sometimes we get a clear picture. Theres a rider lugging in, lets say, and hes whipping on the right side and he keeps whipping. A rider on that horses left complains of interference. We know then and there what happened." "Of course," the visitor said, "lying isnt as easy to get away with now that the film patrol is around." "Lets say," Kyle said, "that it is more difficult for the stewards to make a mistake when it comes to a foul claim." "Whats the greatest number of valid foul claims youve ever seen in a day?" "I remember one day we had three here," Kyle said. "You must remember we have the best officials in the country in New York. Lets say officials as good as anywhere else in the country.- Its got to be a real foul to get past them. Elsewhere it may be different. In the bushes, I mean." "But not in New York?" "Not here," Kyle insisted, "because we are developing the finest officials in the country right here. Right now we have a pool of officials that will last a long time. "Theyll be tough to fool in the years ahead." "And right now, I hope/ Breen said.
