under the wire, where the judges gave Major Dent second 

 place. Time 2 \i2 l / 2 . In the second heat, and at the Y^ pole 

 the winner of the first heat fell and died in his tracks. Ma- 

 jor Dent had then the lead and others were coming fast. 

 Again Major Dent was given second place, time 2:18%. 

 For that heat Mr. Cooper was fined $25.00 for not driving 

 his horse to win. After that Mr. Cooper stayed further 

 back just enough to beat the flag and got second money 

 out of that $1000.00 purse and no mark. The next morning 

 I went and visited Mr. Cooper's camp. 



He greeted me with a smile and said : This race horse 

 business is something like a lawsuit, when you win you lose. 

 Well, I said, I think you had a pretty lucky day yesterday. 

 Well, said Mr. Cooper, I never paid a fine of $25.00 because 

 I didn't win. Well, I said, I am not going to talk to please 

 you. I believe, myself, that you could have won that second 

 heat easy. But, look here, said Mr. Cooper, after this I got 

 to race on half mile tracks, and in this way I can start in 

 the green class and feel pretty sure I can be in the money. 

 But, said I, you know the 25 pace went just as fast as the 

 15 pace. Yes, said Mr. Cooper, but as long as he has no 

 record, I can always enter him in two classes and then take 

 my choice. Then, I said, well, then you really don't blame 

 the judges for what they did? No, said Mr. Cooper, but 

 when a man puts up a good horse race he hadn't ought 

 to be fined. No, I said, but the judges didn't think you did, 

 and I, like the judges, believe you could have won the race. 



Well, said Mr. Cooper, let us change the subject, sup- 

 posing I get on a track where the footing is rather loose, 

 how will those shoes work? Then, I said, that is just 

 where they . shine. You see the sharp, narrow web will 

 sink in easier while the wide web on the inside will carry 

 the foot up on that side. In that way the knee will be 

 tilted outward. This aids the passing foot to go by and 

 furthermore there is less exertion in flexing when break- 

 ing over therefore the swing inward is lessened. You see 



-74 



