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Here and There on the Turf Betting and Racing Big Events for June Passing of Butler Silks Betting King at Saratoga It is natural with the new racing law in New York that much attention should be given the betting end of the sport and the provisions that have been made to carry it on comfortably and conveniently It has been a problem from the beginning and while there has come improvement over the opening day at Jamaica when the layers were not even furnished with stools there are still changes to be made before all is entirely satisfactory satisfactoryBut But in all the changes that have been made there has been an objection to the old betting rings that were built at the various courses in the PercyGray days They were ample at that time to take care of the bet ¬ ting crowds adequately There was no con ¬ fusion and no complaint from the players Now there is an idea these enclosures will not entirely do and that is a reason for changes that have been made madeIt It would probably be much better to edu ¬ cate the new crop of players to the old bet ¬ ting rings rather than make changes It would not be long before they would appre ¬ ciate the old order Of things and it would prevent much confusion These old betting enclosures were carefully laid out to take care of virtually the same sort of wagering that was permitted under the PercyGray Jaw JawThe The crowds are no greater than they were in those days and all the bother about chang ¬ ing rings to suit new conditions would at once be overcome overcomeAs As a matter of fact the ideal layout for the betting under the new law would be to go back to the old stands the chalk and the issuing of tickets to the players There does not seem to be any thing in the law that offers any prohibition against this and it would be vastly more convenient to layers and players alike It seems that the racing associations have not taken a full advantage of the CrawfordBreitenbach law lawBut But while all the attention is directed to the betting and the manner in which it is conducted the fact should never be lost sight of that after all betting is only an incident of racing Racing is much more than merely a vehicle for betting and with less attention to that end and more to the racing itself is what would bring better results resultsThe The better the racing the livelier the mar ¬ ket and when the associations see to it that the racing is of the right sort the betting more or less takes care of itself As the late August Belmont so frequently said Racing is not the mere running of horses around a track It is the only gauge of thoroughbred excellence and without racing of the right sort there would never be de ¬ veloped such horses as Equipoise Gallant Fox Man o War or any other of the great thoroughbreds that have made such glorir ous history historyThere There must always be kept in mind that after all the horse is the thing and only races that offer an adequate test of quality are races that will preserve and perpetuate the breed The turf is never advanced with triyial sprinting races for cheap horses and any time a race course is constructed with the betting end the big objective it is racing that fails failsThere There must be worthwhile racing to induce worthwhile betting so that in conducting a meeting along high class lines will always bring better results in every department of the sport sportFour Four threeyearold prizes of first im ¬ portance are down for decision during June and by an excellent arrangement of the Continued on twentyninth page HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page running dates it would be entirely possible or each to be met by the same horse First of these is the 25000 American Derby at Washington Park to be run June 2 Then on June 9 the Belmont one of the greatest of all threeyearold races will be staged at Belmont Park This is also of 25000 added but with the various declara lons it will gross almost 60000 60000Following Following the Belmont on June 16 will be the Detroit Derby another prize of 25 000 added while June 30 will see a renewal of the Latonia Derby to which 10000 is added It would be a busy month for any colt but it is also an attractive array of prizes and there is time enough between the different runnings to make the schedule a possible one No colt will keep all four en ¬ gagements for possibly there is no colt that s eligible for all of them but June should do much to confirm the present rating of the threeyearolds or uncover a new cham ¬ pion pionGeorge George D Wideners Chicstraw and the Greentree Stables First Minstrel are two whose appearances is eagerly awaited and doubtless they will be shown before long Both are eligible for the Withers as is High Quest winner of the Wood Memorial and he Preakness but all three of them are heading for the mile and a half of the Bel ¬ mont That will be the real test and should je a convincing one oneWhile While Spy Hill has not accomplished all that was expected of him for the Greentree Stable this year Bill Brennan promises to show a good one in both the Withers and the Belmont if First Minstrel continues to train as brilliantly as he has been recently The son of Royal Minstrel has been brought up to racing condition cleverly by Brennan and when he showed a trial of a mile In 137 at Belmont Park Friday afternoon it was enough to indicate an entire readiness for the Withers WithersWorkman Workman was in the saddle for the move and the colt had plenty in reserve as he went along for a first quarter in 23 three furlongs in 35 half in 47 five furlongs in 59 six furlongs in 112 seven fur ¬ longs 137It in 124 and the distance in 137 It was a truly sensational move for the handsome colt and it moves him to a place where Bob Smith and Mack Garner have something to worry about if High Quest is to be kept at the top of the heap in the Withers and the Belmont BelmontThere There is general regret in the passing of the popular silks of the late James Butler from racing The white silks with cherry trimmings have been carried to victory by many a good horse and memory of their deeds will never be forgotten Spur his son Sting as well as his grandson Questionnaire brought a full measure of fame not only to the grand old sportsman but to his East View Farm at Tarrytown They are best remembered but then there was that sweet filly Comely as well as various others that brought fame to the silks silksThere There has been an auction ordered of the racing string and it will go under the ham ¬ mer in the Belmont Park paddock Saturday June 2 Jl JlTvp Tvp changes made In the rules by the Illinois Racing Commission that will bring some discussion is one seeking to have not more than three races daily at a distance of less than a mile and a regulation requir ¬ ing a fee of five dollars with applications for licenses licensesThe The rule seeking the elimination of the short races from the program is an excellent one but unfortunately there is an out which excuses its enforcement in the line unless conditions make it impossible to obtain en ¬ tries to races of a mile or more With this clause it would seem the rule means nothing for should the secretary be unable to fill races at the distances desired he may fall back on the sprints It should be set forth just what conditions would warrant the elimination of the longer races Unless that is set forth the rule does not mean much muchIf If horsemen refuse to patronize the races at distances greater than sprinting dis ¬ tances it is surely a condition that makes it impossible to fill them themAnother Another rule that applies to licenses for trainers jockeys and apprentices is to say the least unusual and appears to be an un ¬ warranted tax It requires a three dollar fee for the filing and registering of each ap ¬ plication and another two dollar assessment to the board of relief Should reliefShould the application be refused there would be no return of the tax It appears to be unwarranted
