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BELMONT TO HORSEMEN. URGES THEM TO STAND BY JOCKEY CLUB IN PRESENT STRUGGLE. No Positive Announcement from Empire J City People Conference of Leaders-Attorney Jerome Visits Brighton. Now York, July 31. District Attorney William, Travors Jerome spent this afternoon at Rrighton Reach track as the guest of Chairman August Belmont of the Jockey "lull. During lie running of the Sunshine Stakes, in which .Mr. Belmonts Half Sovereign was second to Ileknows. they occupied the stewards stand. They afterwards Inspected the Rrighton plant, making a tour of the hetting enclosure under the chaperonage of Robert Pinker-ton. .Mr. Jerome agreed with Mr. ltelmont that racing at the seashore during the hot summer months was ideal sport. Mr. Jerome said that his presence at the track had no significance. lie had a day off, he said, and was simply enjoying a holiday of rest and recreation as the guest of Mr. Rolmont. Mr. Jerome also remarked that this was his first visit to a race course since the days of Jerome Park. When asked if he had made a wager, he parried the question with a Millie. Presumahly he had not. There was quite a lengthy conference after the races between Air. ltelmont, Mr. Auerhach, counsel for the Jockey Club, Sol Lichlensfoin, the noted bookmaker, and J. C. Cavanagh, manager of the betting ring. The press was not informed as to the subject under discussion. During the afternoon Mr. Rchnont referred to the Empire City meeting in the presence of several trainers. He said he did not think it was just light, nor proper, nor fair that horsemen who had piospered and shared benefits under the Jockey Club during the past dozen years, should patronize the Yonkers meeting. They should he loyal and stand by the Jockey Club at the present critical time. The organizations that took hold of the sport when H was on the verge of extinction and placed it on its present high and prosperous plane should be entitled to the benefits. The people who built up lacing in New York should get the benefit of it, he reiterated. Mr. ltelmont afterwards spoke freely and in a democratic manner to the newspaper men. "Dont misunderstand nor misquote me in this," he said. I do not wisli .to convey the idea that horsemen or individuals connected with racing who participate in that meeting will.be discriminated against, lose their licenses or he marked men. There is n.;king in that at all. Remember, gviillemen. Cat all my remarks arc unofficial. I simply deplore, willi all well-wishers of racing, the pros?nt situation. In its effort to regulate racing within safe limits and give New York a respite from the sport in August, the Jockey Club voluntarily foregoes thirty or more days that it is entitled to. 1 believe that the public should be given a rest during one month at least. This change to Saratoga is beneficial to the sport. The Jockey Club acted wisely. I believe in placing a limit to it. "I do not think it chummy of owners and trainers, who have made a good living and have been afforded opportunities to get ahead during the past ten years, should they enter into competition with Hie Jockey Club, under whose necessarily strict rule they have prospered. "I have never seen the Yonkers track, but from what I have heard altout it, it certainly falls far fihort of the present day requirements as to transportation facilities and seating accommodations. It Is also deficient in many other Important respects. "The Jockey Club has not yet received any request for dates, nor has any list of the officials, program of the inteting. etc., been submitted by the Kmpire City Trotting Club." Something definite in regard to the Kmpire City Klluatlou is promised for tomorrow. The work is going along at tin; track and a few horses have already been received from the west, among them the stable of T. P. Hayes. General Manager Winn said this afternoon that he was putting fortli every effort to have the track ready by Monday next, but at the same lime left a loophole by saying that if everything was not ready by that time, that the meeting could be postponed for a few days. Some who were inclined to race at Kmpire City, hail there been no delay about dates and officials, have already made arrangements to ship to Saratoga.
