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AWAIT OPENING OF METROPOLITAN RACING. Many Foreign-Bred Horses Will Compete Against Home Product This Year. By Ed Cole. New York, May S. — Only about ten days more and the regular racing season will have commenced in this state. The gates of Jamaica will be thiown open Friday. May IS, and the first installment of ratine; will begin under the conditions that point to an all important season from many points of view. In the first pfaee; it will lie of international concern, owing to so many foreign-bred horses heftag entered in the rich stakes, to compete against the home product. Again it will be the first time in generations that racing has been conducted in war times in this country as the Spanish scrap was a pink tea ceai pa red with the lei halt at times of the present day. Then. too. there will be an insight into the development of two-year-olds under the new-order of things, whereby the youngsters have not heea allowed to race during the winter months. It is possible that racing folks will see a better band of youngsters than heretofore. It will take a few years before it is positively known whether the new edict will preserve the thoroughbred. This phase of the racing will be watched with much concern by breeders and owners of race horses. Better purses are In-ing offered this year than at any time since the crusade against the sport, which will call out larger fields and Better horses. Every year since 1012 has shown an improvement in attendance and gate receipts. That is why the purses and stakes have been increased. If racing keeps striding forward with the progressive steps it has done in the past four years, then it is safe to say that the foundation has been well laid for its per-petuation. It will be somewhat handicapped by war proceedings, but those in command do not fear a great falling off in attendance unless this country gets much deeper into the international conflict than is anticipated. Heavy War Tax Probable, The associations are going to he taxed heavily to practically •do their best" towards the wars expeaee account, but a conversation with some of the principle stockholders infers that every mothers son will be willing to push as much into the government treasury as he can to aid the good cause. P. J. Dwyer said yesterday in discussing the question that any man. woman or child who did not do his part in some way or other was a traitor to his country. "I know." he said, "that when the country calls on the racing associations it will find all hands at the pump and while it may prove costly to the stockholders. I dont think that any one will complain, but meet the govi rnineiit demands without comment. Racing associations are just about covering tln-ir expiate these days. The profits are small, but that matters little when the freedom of tin-country is at stake. We 8a ii"t know yet what the tax will be. but we are ready to meet it when the tim- arrives. •Should the proposed tax of ten per cent be levied on tin- receipts, it will be pretty big. in fact it would leave a small margin of profit, if any. at the end of a meeting, estimating the average receipts at |S,8M a day. it would mean 1917.sh00 a day tax. This added t tin- panes aad stakes, which are something like SI. 500 a day. running expenses of a nieiting. upkeep of the track and natural taxes, there would be little left for the stockholders. "There will be a conference of track managers as soon as the government tax has been decided upon and arrangements made to meet it. Just what will be .one ill the matter is hard to tell until the question has been thrashed out. It may be that war tax tickets will be issued to be paid for by holders of all complimentary tickets and badges held by those who .-.re employed or otherwise derive benefits from racing such as owners, trainers, jockeys, officials, news repeaters, etc. Personally I believe all such persons are entitled to help the cause. It would hardly be fair to tax the man who pays his 88.88 at the -ate. while those holding badges for track prtrBegea are exempt. But. as I said he fere, it is a quesiion that cannot be discussed with any degree of eaUghtaaeat until we know just whit tax will be imposed. Whatever the associations, patrons an-1 workers have to pay should be s-ib-lerihee* with a will aad fervor tiiat indicates a true patriotic sentiment." Owners of Big Stables Have Advantage. It is net going to be all beer and skittles for owners of selling platers to win races under the existing rule whereby an owner can enter more than one horse. Those owning long strings of racers will have quite an advantage. They can eater both mud runners and dry track horses in every selling race and take a peek into the entries and use discretion as to which horse or horses in- will start, where tie- smaller owner cannot. It the track gels heavy they can start their mud horses and should the track be dry vice versa. They can also see just what horses they have to beat and if the class is common, tiny can start an inferior horse which looks good enough to win and reserve their better horses for another day. The man with only one or two selling platers will have to take the chances, practically heiag at the m -rey of the more wealthy owner. Again it is possible for three or four owners to fill up a selling race. According to the rales on the local courses it will be possible for selling races to be carved to such an extent that the result may be a walkover unless some special dispensation be greeted to confine the withdrawals to a certain number. Once again shoaM there 1»- twenty or more horses entered in a selling race, which is of frequent occurence, and some have to lie withdrawn and made eligibles. according to track regulations, it would hardly be fair for the owner witli four entries to have four chances for a starter, while the man with only one entry has once chance. It must be remembered that of the great number of horses in training, about seventy -five per cent of them are selling plat-rs and perhaps more, hence the confusion is extended where owners can enter more than one horse. The new rule may work out all right, but the avenues for sharp practice by owners and trainers of the larger strings arc- wide open.
