view raw text
OBJECT TO BEING MADE THE GOAT Messrs. Baker and Goldblatt Disclaim Connection with the Activities of Pearce, Henry and Fink. By T. B. Cromwell. Lexington, Ky., September 8. Judging from statements they made to the writer upon their return to Kentucky this week, the racing experiences of Grover and Hundley Baker in the east this year, their first in that section in several years, was neither merry nor profitable, all because of the run-up doings of a couple of young fellows they are popularly, supposed to control, but do not. "We shipped our horses out there and every thing was lovely, until Walter Pearce and John Henry got to running up horses." said Grover Baker, "and then people began charging their operations to us. We had absolutely no connection with what they were doing, but we could not convince others of the truth of it. To make a long story short, I won upward of 0,000 at Empire City and dropped . it all and then some at Saratoga. When they moved to Belmont Park. I went there thinking I might wiu a few good bets, but the first thing I knew, llarry Fink and Pearce were hopping onto Sam Hildreth in selling races and he came to mo to know why I couldnt keep them off of him. I do not believij I was ever quite as mad in my life. I told him quite positively that I had absolutely nothing to do with their operations. Then I took the train for Kentucky. I went out there feeling that I would have a good chance to make a profitable connection witli some rich owner as his trainer, and had all of this happen to me." Hundley Baker said that he had before going to New York and Saratoga-, asked Pearce not to run up any horses, and that he had promised him that lie would not play that game in the east. "I guess, though, lie must have found it too tempting," said Hundley, "for the first thing I knew lie and Henry were into it thick and it wasnt long before they had considerable people snubbing Grover and I and then we began to lose horses and money. We did not furnish Pearce or Honry or Fink with money to run up or claim .horses, and had no connection with them in any of their transactions, but we had to carry the load just the same." LIVINGSTON NOT INVOLVED. Mose Goldblatt said that the charge made in a certain publication, to the effect that Jefferson Livingston furnished tlie money upon which Harry Fink operated in claiming and running up horses, has no foundation in fact. "Occasionally Fink bets money for Livingston, but his operations otherwise are for himself and not for Livingston," said Goldblatt. "We havent a horse in tlie stable that was acquired through Fink, and out of a selling or claiming race. After George Land took Othello from Livingston, I got him back over tlie same route we had lost him, but all of the others we bought from breeders, developers and by auction. George Land lias an idea that Fink operated for Livingston when he took Intone, but he is dead wrong about it. Fink has told me that he buys and claims horses from selling races because he finds it profitable to do so, and because he understands that is what selling and claiming races are for. He has told me that he is operating on his own money exclusively. I know Livingston never furnished him any." The Kentucky claiming rule does not permit of as extensive trafficing in horses as is the case in the east, for that sixty days possession clause makes it too expensive and too tedious, but it shouldnt be surprising if some retaliatory steps are taken by fellows, who havent got over the soreness that was. engendered by the operations in Kentucky last spring and in the east, up to the close of the Saratoga meeting.
