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NEW YORK RACING GOSSIP. Horsemen Anxiously Await Any Legislative Move to Aid Sport — Little Opposition Expected. By Ed Cole. New Yelk. February 19. — Within the next few days racing folks xvill know something more about the proposed bill of relief for patrons of the sport in this state. Only those who are in dose touch with framing a measure to be presented in Albany know just what will be asked, but it is generally conceded that something in the line of the pari-mutiiel system wili be attempted. It will be the hegingfctg of an effort to legitimatize the speculative side of racing and though the procedure may be slow the idea prevails that if nothing is started nothing can be accomplished. It may take three or four years before this method could become operative, but so long as the structure is on the way there is a possibility of favorable complet ion. A mutuel bill may have to pass two legislature* and then be put np to the people to vote upon it. All this would take much time and even should it be defeated racing here would revert to its present status, which, xvhile just tolerated, could be much improved upon from a new jKunt of financial offerings to encourage breeding of horses. This cannot be done under the existing renditions where there are but three sources of revenue -the gate, restaurant privileges and programs. It is believed here that there xvould be little opposition to legislative action to relieve the racing situation either from pn as, public or reformers. the latter element now being convinced that xvith some sort of ! gelation much of the city and street ■pet illation xvould be eliminated. Col. Winns Optimistic Observations. Matt Winn will stay in the city for the next week or two bfore going to Louisville to prepare for the apening of the season in Kentucky. He anticipate* eeeing the lust Kentucky Derby in the history of the rice not only in a centering xvay but also in point of starters. As he says: "Surely the biggest field xvill go to the post and that insures T real above the ordinary. "In speaking of Juarez. Mr. Winn say, tiiat while the association loat a little money the populaiily of the mutuols xvas growing daily and tin- racing xvas on a paying basis when the typhus fever broke out. "The matt hi be gan with about ,000 a day and when xve cloned we were handling 2,000." concluded Mr. Winn, "and the proceed* from that source xvre sufficient to cover all mir expenses, combined xvith the gate receipts : i.d other privileges. We shall open again next rear at an early date if nothing intervenes. We hare fought all kinds of things at Juarez fr m battling Uexicana to smallpox and typhus and bare done pretty will considering. By neL season affairs map be more peaceful. We deserve a little ■B— hi at at Juarez and I think xve shall get it next aeaaea. "In the meantime Louisville and Empire City xvill keep me bos; and then comes Laurel in the autumn. if eour-e it we have war it may interfere a bit With rai lag but not much." Discussing War Probability. At this point president Phil Dwyer broke into the conversation with the prediction that if this country gees to war it will cut the attendance at the local tracks at lea-t one-third. Other knights of tin- Waldorf round table hardly agreed xvith Mr. Dwyer en tie point of liuniNrs though it was generally admitted that war would interfere somewhat with tie- attendance, but not as much as Mr. Dwyer predicted. Tom Maaahnn says there are enough al I folk, alone in New Kark to make a goodly crowd at any race units* even if all the youngsters had to go to the iiciit or cruise the seas. Price M. Kinney ha- not yet left on his yacht for a meathf trip as arranged. "Might just as well ■tack around." he Mga. "At bast unt.l we knew s earthing more about the actfcaaa of submarines uud unites."
