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SYNDICATE RING BETTING AT JUAREZ. ] When the present contract for the betting privileges at the Juarez track expires tomorrow night, " it is not thought that any difficulty will be ex eri-euccd by Col. E. Applegate, of Louisville, the • present holder, in coining to terms with Col. Matt ■ .1. Winn, manager of the Mexican course. During the past twenty days the meeting has proved so i highly successful that it is known that Col. Apple- i gate desires to renew the contract, and it is quite probable that he will be given the betting privilges i for about thirty days under the same terms as now prevail, says Walter H. Iearce in a letter of Janu- . ary 17 to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Colonel Winn lias returned from a vacation trip through Arizona and was delighted at his inspec- . tion of the receipts during his absence. They ex- • eceded his fondest expectations. There is plenty of . money in sight and the liooks are handling around , 0,000 each day. On Sundays and ladies days. , however, the amount often goes above 5,000. so it can be seen that the ring is certain to make money. According to those in a position to know ab mt the doings of the syndicate controlling the ring it is claimed that the rim; is about 7,000 behind. This includes the 1916.sh,000 paid to Col. Hippolito Villa for the poolroom concession in Juarez, which has since been closed by order of General Carranza. During the past few days those in control of the ring have evinced a willingness to gamble. While the liooks formerly were 40 to 00 per ceut. strong, an inspection now shows that frequently they are dealing to about 2."i per ceut. This is more to the satisfaction of the public, which is willing to take a chance wheat the "strangle hold" does not prevail. Form has been pretty well conserved at the Juarez course during the pust couple of weeks, and this has helped t.i keep the syndicate from getting out of the hole. The expenses of operating the ring are roughly estimated at alwut ,500 a day. so it can be seen that it will nottake many good "breaks" to put the syndicate on Easy Street. In a majority of races the betting centers on one or two horses. If either is fortunate enough to win the ring does not lay up much. On the other hand, however, should lioth of these horses fail to score then the ring keeps all of the handle save about 8. Had the ring been willing to take a chance on ■bjsaont on Sunday a week ago it is probable that it would now be winner. When prices were iiosted Egmont opened at 2 to 1. After taking about 0 the price was cut to 3 to 2. It did not take more than 00 to force the price down to even money, and when about 00 showed at this price the odds were again chopped until 1 to 2 was the prevailing price at post time. When money showed at this price the blackboards were wiped, no bets being accepted on the Musgrave horse. Had the books been willing to take a gamble on Egmont at even money there is no telling how much they could have won. One big bettor here stood ready to wager 0,000 if he could get even money, but ring leader Shannon declared that Egmont was a "live horse" and that he didnt care for any money on him at any price. The Juarez bettors are a discriminating lot. it does n-.t take them long to find out whether or not a thoroughbred is trying or merely out for an "airing." They seldom bet on any "dead ones." and if they do it is because someone switches the cat at the last minute. There have been some peculiar races run here this season, but to the credit of the stewards it must be admitted that they have done everything wihin their power to keep the sport clean. Several horsemen have been warned away from the course, while four riders have liecn told to leave. The chief offender, however, a rider who could probably throw Sandow in his palmy days, evades the stew"-ards. That this rider "pulls" horses frequently is the general lielief. but one of the stewards has several times expressed the opinion that this rider is stricty on the level, and that those who st eak ill of the boy are doing him a gross injustice. That the rider in question has l een refused a license in Kentucky, however, is well known to turf followers.
