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HOPE FOR EASTERN RACING SPORT LIKELY TO BE RESUMED ON METROPOLITAN COURSES NEXT SEASON. Meetings Looked for in 1912 at Belmont Park, Empire City, Saratoga, Sheepshcad Bay, Aqueduct, and Possibly Jamaica and Gravesend. Now York, December 4. There, is some ground for asserting that next year there will be a resumption or racing on raee courses In New York state, and, this, too, even under existing circumstances that is. even if the worst were to happen this winter and no legislation be enacted. It is asserted Unit there will be racing, three or four days each week, commencing about Decoration Day, at Belmont Park and continuing at several of the other tracks, including Sheepshcad Day, Yonkers, Saratoga, Aqueduct and possibly Jamaica and Gravesend. The reason for this seems to lie that there lias been six days siwrt during the past season, witli sweep-slakes and for added money, at the various amateur meetings, at which betting suliieieiit to warrant full market quotations has been seen, and there have K-cii no indictments under the law, though all the directors of Hip places at winch those meetings took place are well known in society and in hunting circles. In brief, a strict interpretation of the law would mean that many of New Yorks best known men would lx facing a jury because they permitted" gatherings at which betting went on. On this same charge all the men who own stock in the two base ball clubs would also be in court en the same charge, because there was a tremendous amount of mo:iey liet on the championship and on the worlds series, yet our worthy district attorneys took no notice and no one is in jeopardy. "It is enough to make anarchists of every man and woman whoever attended a race," said an old racing man to me recently; "apparently you can bet a million a minute on a Iwse ball game or on a football game, but not one cent on a horse nice." How different in Europe. All over the continent betting is not only legalized, but is encouraged because it is such a great source of revenue to the government, lit Great Britain it is not under government protection, but it is so general that so prominent a man us James do Rothschild is known , have personally wagered 0,000 oa Ids horse j!x:ro:tlii.- to- win the Derby Cup at Derby, Eng., at oddtf which averaged him :U to 1, and stood to win 05,0n0 on the horse, which lost by a neck. Maher up. In Canada, as we all know, letting is legalized for seven days at a time, twice a year, at meetings, and there is a general feeling that for some time to come racing in our neighboring countries will go on unhamicred by restrictions. For this reason I was personally well pleased at the many successes of the Canadians at onr recent horse show. In fact, because of the many Canadians present at the show one could easily fancy himself in cither of the big cities where racing nourishes in the Dominion. I am glad to say also that the gentlemen riders one sees at those meetings were also the men to win the chief prizes at the horse show. Personal contact for many years with the best elements in Canadian horsemanship has proved to me what good sportsmen they are. Keverting to the question of racing at New York tracks, even if it be resumed under present conditions, the persons owning the tracks will be almost tyrannical in their efforts to shut out professional open unrestricted betting, with "runners" bursting into groups to declare that "John Jones is now laying 2 to 1 Shannon," and other incidents of the old days. Track police will go to great lengths to prove the sincerity of the tnrf authorities in their claims that it is racing which they want to main-lain and not betting on the racing. Under such conditions It is hard to see how any fair-minded district attorney can institute proceedings, unless lie is of that demagogue nature as to bo anxious to "play to the galleries." It is hoied that with racing on three or four days a week, enough interest can Ins maintained in the sport to warrant before long a concerted effort in the Legislature looking to more liberal laws. That there is such a hope deep down in the hearts of some well-informed men is a fact. Said Eugene Woods to me on the 11th of November at the Great Neck races: "I own 100,000 wortli of stock in the Jamaica race track and am a stockholder in four others. None of my stock is for sale." Sir. Woods, a bosom friend of the bite Senator McCarron, is hand-and-glovo with all the politicians of both sides and ought to know what he is talking about. He ndded: "It is up to Governor Dix to help ux out. I understand that in his annual message to the legislature on January 1, he will make the racing situation a feature. He will point to the manner in which breeding thoroughbreds is fostered by all the governments of the world, and will ask if the great state of New York is willing to continue its suicidal attitude against the horse." If Governor Dix will do this, a law may le passed which would be a blessing to hundreds of the small men who live by the development of the horse. Just now Governor Dix is under fire for having pardoned a murderer who was lucky to escape electrocution, and the press of this city are pounding him hard for that. Whether he is willing to further incur a pounding from a certain section of the press if lie favors racing, remains to be seen. Ho lias ilone some things which strike the racing people as verv crraUc, to say the least. lie made the Frawley Itoxlii" bill a law, and after lie had seen how it was lxiiig abused, he asked for its repeal. AVby cant be give racing the same- chance? ask turfmen. . The one politician whom racing men in this state iidmiro is William Barnes, the republican up-state 1 adcr He at all times declared that persecutors of racing were actuated by wrong motives and has frequently offered to work for the Gittins bill. Definite the long siege of an investigating committee at Alb-inv Mr. Barnes lias escaped odium and is now stronger than over in his leadership, so much so that it is almost conceded that his choice for lcader-Milp in the legislature, E. S. Morritt, Jr., will easily win in spite of strong opposition in New York City With Mr. Barnes in the saddle, a Iteniiblican Legislature in control, it is not hopeless for racing interests. It was common talk before and after election that the racing interests were lietraved by the Democrats in power. Thousands of votes were lost to the Democrats for that reason. If the racing men would only get together and act as a cohesive body, just as do Uie prohibitiopists, much of this opposition to rational sport would bo w pel out But it is so hard to get united action. Deadly irertia seems to seize them after a renulso. If they would only show the persistency of James : Butler and Charles Kohler. It is a fact that the efforts of these two men did wonders In behalf of the Gittins bill, even though it failed to pass tho Assembly, where it was expected to pass easily. working as hard as Messrs. Give us -i score of men Butler and Kohler on any proposition and it is sure to Win JUo.h.1 11 J UUKlvrj.
