view raw text
NEW RULES CREATE FRICTION. Dissatisfaction at Lexington Over Recent Action of Kentucky State Racing Commission. Lexington, Ky., September 10. Probably there never was a race meeting that opened In such a swirl of dissatisfaction as that attending the in auguration of the fall season here last Thursday. It mattered not whether one was down in the city or on the race course, it seemed that he could not turn in any direction but what he came iu contact witli someone with something to criticize and, first and last, the criticism was all directed against the Kentucky State Racing Commission. The Commission on August 10 had announced the introduction of an amendment to rule 12, striking out the words "and the auction pools," which would leave that rule to read "All racing associations licensed by this Commission are hereby instructed to permit only the pari-inutuel system of betting on their grounds. The commission deducted by the associations from said pari-nmtuel pools shall not exceed live per cent of the gross amount of money handled. Any violation of this rule shall be pun ished by revocation of their license." Throughout the required thirty days pending action on the measure there was much discussion of the probable effect of the elimination of the auction pooling system from the Kentucky tracks, and it seemed to be the general, though not unanimous, opinion of thinking men of the turf, and particularly those alive to the angles of the letting ring, that It would be a mistake to make It a prohibitive enactment, for the reason that it might prove a serious detriment to one or more of the associations iu the matter of necessary revenue. The Kentucky State Racing Commission, In the course of the discussion, made no explanation of Its reasons, as a body, for wanting to eliminate the auctious, but Chairman Clay said that they were being used as a basis for prices sent to handbooks and poolrooms, and that it was the intention to wipe out the system to show the public that the Commission would do everything possible to stamp out betting away from the track. An effort was made to show the Commission that the elimination of the auctions aud the removal of the. telegraph and telephone, wires from the grounds, which hail been coupled with that measure as a part of the crusade against the handbooks and poolrooms, would not have the effect desired by the Commission, hut they could not see it. At their meeting Thursday morning they adopted the amendment to rule 12 aud passed the rule ordering off telephone and telegraph Wires and for bidding even a messenger service for the afternoon newspaper reports. The Kentucky Association, anticipating that this action would be taken, and realizing, or at any rate strongly believing, that there would be a decrease in its revenue from the betting without the auctions, put up the price of admission to .50 for men and for women, an advance of 50 cents per ticket. The auctions went off, the betting ring was a sort of a city of the dead as compared with the former activity about the stand of the pool auctioneer, the poolrooms and handbooks throughout the country got their service through men with glasses sitting at windows in mildings overlooking the track, and the reporters for the afternoon newspapers had to resort to a relay of messengers to get their matter downtown to the telegraph offices. Meanwhile those who had been iu the habit of patronizing the auctions to the exclusion of the mutuels wore dissatisfied; the regular niutuel patrons found fault because they had no guidance as to favorites from the auctions; the public was generally dissatisfied because it had to pay a higher tariff to see the racing, and the newspaper representatives were up in arms because of the inconvenience to which they were being put. R. F. Carman says that ho is going to England after the fall racing in Kentucky is over, and that the turf in America probably will never know him again. He says he will take the best horses of his stable of thirty-five; will get them thoroughly acclimated during the winter and be ready for racing on the other side next spring. "Canada and Kentucky are practically all that is left to racing on this side of the Atlantic, he said. "There is no money to be made in Canada with a big stable. Thi seven days between meetings and the long sliiu-nionts make it too costly. I did not make my expenses in the Domiuion this season. It is little better in Kentucky for the man who carries as many horses as I have. I do not get any encouragement as to the situation in New York, and I have no idea when if ever, the sport will come back in the East. Hence my plans to go abroad." After the shipment of the ten sons and daughters of Rock Sand to England this week, to be sold on October 11. and the cataloging of sixteen others to be sold here next week at the auction of the Kentucky Sales Company, only four yearlings are left at August Relmonts Nursery Stud. They are the Rock Sand Tarpeia filly, the Hastings Topiary colt, the Hastings Teas Over colt, and the Rauastar Chinkara colt. There is a report in circulation here to the effect that August Belmont is planning to send Rock Sand and the best of the mares now at the Nursery Stud to France. Superintendent Ed Kane, however, says that he has no information concerning the intentions -of the chairman of the Jockey Club in that direction. Secretary Ken Walker of the Kentucky Sales Company is expecting an overage of 00 to 50 for the yearlings that are to ho disposed of at the sale beginning at Tattersalls Monday evening. There is a limited number of young horses in this country for racing, and. for that reason lie is satisfied that the demand will be good. Tuesday morning the yearlings of Colonel E. F. Clay, his sons. Woodford and Zeke, and Catesby Woodford, will be sold under u tent on Mr. Woodfords Raceland Farm in Bourbon County, near Paris. W. G. Yankos string of racers are quite apt to cut a big swath at the meetings in this state tills fall. His horses are all in line fettle and they rank with the best in training on the Kentucky tracks. This is. especially true of Quartermaster. Tliis handsome three-year-old son of Orimar and Louise Wood gave a sparkling exhibition In the inaugural dasli hero Thursday, when he showed hi:-; heels to a band of shifty sprinters, including Cherryola, Ilanbridge and Raleigh P. D. Quartermasters performance was all the more striking when it is known that as the barrier went up his rider, Higgins, lost both stirrups and, in his effort to keep his seat iu the saddle, pulled the colt virtually to a standstill. When he did get going he was many lengths back and apparently a forlorn hone in so far as the winners portion was concerned, but with great resolution In tho heavy going he overcame his disadvantage in brilliant style and showed a tremendous burst of speed during the middle quarter. He won In commanding fashion from the game Cherryola. He is a mud runner of high quality and will be a hard proposition for the best of them In the sprinting division if he maintains his present form.
