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M J WINN DESCRIBES WHAT THE PARIMUTUELS HAVE DONE FOR KENTUCKY RACING New York April 3 Matt J Winn manager of the Juarez and Churchill Downs race tracks and Charles F Price well known as a presiding judge sailed for1 Europe on the Mauretania yesterday Mr Winn explained yesterday that the object of his trip across the ocean had much to do with the parl inutuel system of betting as it is conducted in France He said that he intended to confer witli the members of the Trench Jockey Club with the idea of linding out for himself whether the system in that country has anything on the modern meth ¬ ods now in vogue on all the Kentucky tracks He stated alto that he intended to explain the operation of the Kentucky mutuels to the French turf solons with the idea that the latter might learn some new wrinkles wrinklesJudge Judge Price and I need a vacation after the long winter meeting at Juarez said Mr Winn be ¬ fore sailing and we are going to see the horses run in France and England before we come back Incidentally I intend to carefully inspect the pari mutuels in France to learn if possible whether that system can afford any improvements in Kentucky For several years now we have been experimenting with the mntuels in the blue grass region and we lielieve that we have perfected this form of specu ¬ lation to such a degree that we may have some de ¬ cidedly interesting pointers for the French Jockey Club ClubMutuels Mutuels have rebuilt the turf in Kentucky When the machines were lirst Installed they were crude and the public did not take kindly to them But we have remedied various defects as fast as possible with the result that Churchill Dovns for instance had better racing nnd made more money last year than ever liefore The machines have been enlarged and new arrangements for calculating and paying off have been added Tlat is where we have the French system beaten to a standstill It is possible now for a liettor to tell almost at a glance what odds will l e paid on every horeo in a race The figures can be read quickly and for that reason the bettors in our state have Income en ¬ thusiastic More than tiO per cent of the money wagered on a race is withheld from the machines until ten minutes before the horses leave the post This Ls somewlmt flue 1o trf trfilfnrt ilfnrt tlmtour new method make it possible to handle this amount of money without confusion or delay The bettors are able to visit the paddock consult with friends and look over past performances until the bugle sounds Ten minutes later when the barrier is released the ma ¬ chines are locked by means of an electric button in the stewards stand After the red board has been adjusted under the successful numbers we can pay off all winning wagers long l efore the horses for positLast the next race are called to the posit Last year at Churchill Downs the smallest amount wagered on six races during a single after ¬ noon was 100000 On Derby day 175000 was placed in the machines on the full card 55000 on the Derby alone Thirty machines were used and as many cashiers It cost 2000 a day for clerk hire and the machines were backed by a 50000 bank roll While it was possible for a man to bet heavily on the races the identity of plungers and professional ganiblers could not be learned and in that way the spectacular betting was obscured obscuredThe The best proof that mutuel betting has benefited racing at Churchill Downs lies in th fact that we have been able to Increase the value of stakes and purses In that way we have attracted some of the biggest stables and the best horses to our meet ¬ ings The high quality of the sport therefore has increased the gate receipts and has also intensified the popularity of the game The best people in Louisville and Kentucky have gradually become in ¬ terested until the sport itself has overshadowed the speculative feature featureThe The mutuels have eliminated the sure thing ele ¬ ment There is no temptation to do wrong Own ¬ ers trainers ami jockeys have no connections with the betting ring because there are no bookmakers to Influence them An owner must win races to make both cuds meet He can get nothing by providing a dead favorite As n result of our uptodat system little is heard of betting nowadays and that means continued prosperity We are going to race thirteen days at Churchill Downs this spring Instead of twentylive because we feel that by in ¬ creasing the value of the stakes and purses for the shorter time limit we will be able to provide even better racing than in former years The public will pay liberally to see the best horses and you cant secure prizesI them unless you hang up rich prizes I understand that In France there is some trouble over calculation and settling and I am prepared to show the proper remedy In return I hope to pick up some new ideas which will further benefit the sport at home homeMr Mr Winn seems to think that if mutuels could be used in this state the turf would take a new lease on life But under the present laws mutuel betting lotteryMr is a violation of the statute against lottery Mr Winn cited facts to show that the iron men have been the real thing in rehabilitating the sport in the blue grass state Hut to use his own words as much as has been accomplished In the past ifew years we are ever on the Iwkout for improvement the result being that at every meeting there is some little change that works out for the general good When we lirst started at Churchill Downs we had eleven machines and we have had to add more every season until last year when we used twenty and had to employ thirty cashiers These men have become adepts and the ixwrest paid member of the staff 25From earns 10 a day Other salaries range to 25 From what I am told the public at the European courses are obliged to wait until a race is run to mid out what their ticket is worth if they happen to have chosen the winning horse Not so at Church ¬ ill Downs The system is in such a state of per ¬ fection down there that the second the barrier rises betting stops and ten seconds after a man knows to the cent what his ticket calls for forAnother Another handicap that has been overcome is the congestion that one used to see after each race when the holders of the winning tickets would line up be ¬ hind the cashiers booths I have seen them stand in line until the following race would be over re ¬ ceiving their money Under the system now In vogue there Is no delay the result being that the money Is always as one might say In circulation which makes it better for all concerned Tlie New York Sun commenting on Mr Whins presence In that city says saysMatt Matt J Winn who made horseracing a success at Juarez Mex and also has improved the sport at Churchill Downs Louisville arrived here yesterdaj He Is on his way to Europe for a short vacation and will sail on the Mauretania on Wednesday Mr Winn Kpcnt the afternoon with old friend including James Butler who brought him east sev ¬ eral years ago to manage the running meetings at Empire City UrT UrTYlHrt YlHrt I Kentuckian He is a practical lisnpjss limn and believes in conducting race tracks oi a wtrlctly business basis lie is known among he turfmen as a square dealer and a champion of clean sx rt rtThe The task of building up the annual winter race meeting at Juarez was assigned to Mr Winn from the start At first many obstacles were In the wav Juarez had to compete with Oakland and Jackson ¬ ville But when these tracks were closed Juarez with its liberal stakes and purses began to attnct the best stables Mr Winn in addition to manag ¬ ing the track also helped in the stewards stand He kept his eyes and ears open and soon evildoers found themselves barred outside the gates As gatesAs the quality of the racing Improved the attend ¬ ance increased The fact that Willie Applegaie W Gi Yanke and others were not allowed to ope ate a syndicate betting ring was another boost Mutuels were tried with iKior results a year ago so Mr Wiiin excluded them in favor of the books As a result of these moves the long meeting thi closed a weqk ago yesterday netted a handsome profit for the lirst time since the Mexican track opened Racing lias made El Paso prosperous said Mr Winn Tins Juarez meeting this winter brought many thousands of dollars into that city Persons who at first opiwsed us now are In favor of perpetual racing across the Rio Grande A big hotel up to date In every particular afforded ex ¬ cellent accommodations for visitors during the je cent meeting It filled a longfelt want Our fu ¬ ture meetings therefore will attract tourists who are in search of luxury combined with sjiort We are making preparations for a Ing meeting at Churchill Dowhs this spring The Kentucky Derby will be a great event judging from the entry list Tho other stakes have tilled well and promts excellent racing The value of overnight purses has been increased and we look for recordbreaking results The mutuel system of betting has been very successful In Kentucky and is a fixture
