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REVIVAL OF NEW YORK RACING CLOSE AT HAND New York May 27 Americas finest race tum i m iimiiviii mi Friday afternoon for tin first thoroiiglihrcd running meeting on a big track in this state since Saratoga closed n 1JI10 Various hunt meetings have been lield at Belmont Park Terminal just across the highway but this will lie the first attempt to pro ¬ vide real racing under the auspices of the Jockey Club and in accordance with the latest interpreta ¬ tion of the socalled aiitlbooUinakliig law by the courts courtsA A decision by Supreme Court Justice TnwnsJinl Scudder in the Shane case which was approved sub ¬ sequently by the Appellate Division in Brooklyn paved the way for this revival of racing WiJen the legislature passed flc anundnienis to the llart Agnew laws in llo making directors of racing associations criminally liablo for bookmakinsr With or without writing whether it was conducted with or without their knowlitlge or consent the owners of the various tracks decided to close their gates rathir than encounter srions trouble troubleThe The arrest of Paul Sliane an alleged bookmaker at Belmont Par Terminal ii June ISM was the entering wedge He was charged with violating the new law because he privately laid to 1 on a cer ¬ tain horse am accepted a wager the terms of which were recorded by the bettor Shane was re ¬ leased on a writ of halieas ccrpus which was sus ¬ tained by Justice Scudder who nfed that private wagering of an oral nature was not n irime and that directors of racing association could not be held liable for sudi innocent proceedings But Justice Scudder pointid out that taking bets as a business lawNo was a violation of the law No sooner had this opinion been confirmed unani ¬ mously by the Appellate Division than the racing associations decided to resume operations Promi ¬ nent men Identified with racing and hreediiitj pro ¬ ceeded to raise a fund of more than SUWoOO to guarantee stakes and defray expenses James But ¬ ler pnrchisMd a big band of Kecae yearlings for r0 00 and Charles Kohlcr aso invested a large sum of money in thorcugtibred rtovk Alexander S Coehran C K G Billings Thomas F Hyaiiaud others became interested in the welfare of the sport too while the old supporters of racing August Belmont II 1 Whitiiev II K Knapp John San ford K T Wilson John E Madlen Andrew Mil ¬ ler and the Hitchcocks began preparing for the coming campaign From th outset the turf gover ¬ nors made it clear that they intended to discourage and suppress the professional gamblers who had infested the tracks in former years ue yearsue will not tolerate bookmaking or open gamb ¬ ling they said and when Uovermn Sulzer an ¬ nounced that he would instruct the county authori ¬ ties to enforce the laws the turf soions heartily commended him It may be that since Governor Sulzers ultimatum the Belmont Park manager and the district attorney and sheriff of Nassau County liave been working in harmony It also may be stated that when the big track opens on Friday pro ¬ fessionals will find themselves in hot water if they attempt to operate It will not lie surprising if several notorious individuals who once chalked odds and did a land ollico business in bets are barred from the track trackIt It will be physically impossible to prevent private bets however A detective force of several hundred hundredsleuths sleuths would be required to apprehend the wager among friends cither with a nod head or a crook of the linger The courts have ue cided that such speculation is not illegal and there is reason to believe that the comity authorities will know where to draw the line But there will be no iKtting ring with layers sitting on high stools putting prices on slates and soliciting business Those methods have gone forever foreverThe The Belmont Park meeting will embrace eighteen racing days winding np on July At present it is the plan to race three days a week depending entirely on the gate receipts and the owners fund to make ends meet Bxixnisos will be heavy yet there Is 110 idea of collecting a revenue from the speculative element If the patronage exceeds the promoters expectations It Is liclievcd extra racing days will IK provide in order to attract turfmen who under the present circumstances prefer to race in Kentucky ami Canada where they can obtain action every day in the week weekOn On the opening day the VnsJiiufi r lin As ¬ sociation will distribute 4 4the the winners and placed lion to cover this amount without drawing from the owners fund it would be necessary to collect ad ¬ mission fees from 1500 persons at each But the 2 00 guarantee which the Metropolitan Handi ¬ cap carries will come out of the fund so that the association will not bo compelled to run a big financial risk riskThe The 5 tariff l y the way will not prevail at all entrances except tho clubhouse A section of the grandstand has been fenced off for the accommo ¬ dation of the onw dollar patrons Tins enclosure will be ojHMicd with the idea of permitting the poor man to enjoy racing in accordance with his means The patrons will be permitted to view the horses from the grandstand and lawn within a stones throw of the judges stand while the ad ¬ mission to the clubhouse will be 5 5Several Several officials new to racegoers here will aid in the management of the sport C II Pettingill suc ¬ ceeds C J Fitzgerald as presiding judge His as ¬ sistant is E C Smith who has gained much ex ¬ perience on tracks outside the state The starter is James Milton a newcomer who lias done efficient work with the barrier at various American tracks J Li Hall will bo the paddock and patrol judge W If Barretto the timer and W S Vosmirgh will as ¬ sign weightsFridays the handicap weights Fridays program will include the Metropolitan Handicap one mile and live other races The tirst to be a selling affair at six furlongs the second a dash of five furlongs straight for twoyearolds the third a selling race at one mile and a sixteenth the fifth a steeplechase for maidens and the sixth a straightThere twoyearold selling affair at five furlongs straight There will be racing at Belmont Park on Satur ¬ day when the Bouquet Selling Stakes and the Withers for threeyearolds will lie run Next week the sport will lie continued on Monday Wednesday and Friday with racing at Piping Bock on MondayThe Thursday Saturday and the following Monday The big course of the Westchester Racing Asso ¬ ciation is all ready for the opening Long before it was definitely known that there would be a re ¬ sumption of the sport at the Nassau County track sui erintendeiit II I Pelz was btfoily engaged in making ready for what might develop and as a re ¬ sult lie was well advanced when the word was given to go on jid make ready Just enough of the track had been kept in condition to satisfy the require ¬ ments of the strings of thoroughbreds that were stabled there All the other great long stretches and the wide sweeping turns were permitted to be ¬ come overgrown with grass All grassAll of tills has been removed and right now the course proper is in the best of condition With th making of the track there was no end of work to be done about the monster grandstand and that has just about been completed The lield stand will not l e used foj the spring meeting The lawns have been closely cropped and they are the same inviting carpets 1110And of firm green turf that they were in 1110 And while all this work lias been going forward another force of workmen was busily engaged in the infield The jumps of the steeplechase course had all been leveled for the accoiuodation of the aviators who exhibited there Now they have all been restored They have been strongly built to standard size and each is topped with the green brush that adds so much to the picturesque side of that branch of racing racingStarting Starting stands have been newly painted and pu in position the benches have been brought out of storage and placed in tho stands hedges have been trimmed roadways and paths in the big enclosure have been brought to perfect condition and the flags have been renewed
