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New Protective Screen For Starters at Caliente Fool Proof Half Stall Door Is Designed to Prevent Tampering AGUA CALIENTE, Tijuana, B. C, Mexico, June 24. — In a move designed to overcome the possibility of tampering with a race horse or to pinpoint the responsibility in the event such tampering does occur, the management of the Caliente track today introduced a new device known as the "Caliente protective screen" which is being placed over the entrance of every stall in the stable area. Perfection of the screen was announced by executive director John S. Alessio after weeks of experimentation during which various types of installations were tried to assure absolute stall seclusion for horses once they have been entered in a race. The "Caliente protective screen" consists of *a top half door of half -inch welded mesh screen measuring 16 square feet, and it, in turn, is welded to a frame of angle iron secured to concrete walls by means of counter-sunk bolts. The top half door overlaps the bottom half by 10 inches and prevents the latter from being opened when the screen is locked. The same welded mesh is being used cover all open vents in the stalls. According to Alessio there will be locks for each screen, one to be provided by track officials and the other by the trainer. When a horse officially is entered in a race a lock is issued to the trainer or the horses groomj who must sign a statement assuming responsibility for the thoroughbreds ~~ custody. The one who signs for the lock is sole custodian of the key. The trainer or groom, for his own protection, can use the other lock if he so desires, but this is not mandatory. , The lock assigned by the management is one which can be broken in case of emergency, but if any screen or lock is found to have been tampered with the horse con- fined to that particular stall will be ordered scratched. For the comfort of horses during inclement weather, there is a second upper half door of wood which can be closed over the screen. » Tests have shown that-the "Caliente protective screen" makes it impossible to introduce any illegal or. foreign substance into the stall where it could become available to the horse.
