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Here and There on the Turf N Y Will Improve Betting Larger Slates More Room Likely Whitney Argues for Straight away awayOmaha Omaha Should Gallop in Bel mont Herbert Bayard Swope John Sloan and John Hay Whitney comprising the New Ytfrk State Racing Commission had dinner the other night with their sometimes best and sometimes poorest friends the news ¬ papermen whose business it is to chronicle the sport There was a lot of plain talking oh both sides with the principal issues be ¬ ing those shortcomings that have been ap ¬ parent in metropolitan racing this season and if too many obstacles are not in their way the commission will do something about them A wide range of subjects all pertaining to racing as it is conducted on the New York tracks was covered in a long meeting but that drawing the most atten ¬ tion was the manner of betting at the pres ¬ ent time because of the countless com ¬ plaints against the crowded conditions in the ring especially on big days daysFortunately Fortunately for New York racing in this particular instance at least one of the com ¬ mission members is an architect who has become so deeply interested in the case that he is making it a personal job to work out a new system whereby the public will be able to have more freedom in the market and at the same time the bookmakers will be placed in a position of serving their customers better betterJudging Judging from the tone of the commis ¬ sioners remarks Belmont Parks betting enclosure will offer a new arrangement at the autumn meeting Commissioner Sloan said he was conferring with George Bull about an improvement for Saratoga while Tom Thorpe spokesman for Empire City intimated that Empire City would like to be the first track to try out the plan Mean ¬ while the patrons and bookies during the Aqueduct meeting will have to struggle along as best they can canDetails Details of the new arrangement were not brought out but undoubtedly means will be found for a better display of the odds and the various bookmakers with their crews will be located so as to bring about a minimum of congestion As long as there are layers and players whether it be on a big day or blue Monday crowded condi ¬ tions will arise but the commission seeks to improve the facilities of this department of racing for the fullest protection of the public Ever since betting ceased to be a speakeasy affair the casual racing fan has encountered many difficulties in placing a wager The regular5 tears in like a mad bull but not so the Saturday patron who usually is overawed by it all But with the book ¬ makers distinguished by larger slates and not so jammed together the customers should be able to walk right up to the man offering the largest odds and make his wager Perhaps the transaction will be further facilitated by the introduction of a ticket or receipt to be given the player playerMuch Much opposition to the extent of the Bel ¬ mont Park track was voiced but Whitney speaking as a director and leading stock holder in the Nassau course said the West chester Racing Association was not In a position at this time to make any such drastic change even though it was approved approvedWhitney Whitney from an unofficial viewpoint spoke in behalf of the Widener course say ¬ ing that straightaway racing for twoyear olds was essential if America was to enter ¬ tain any hope for better threeyearolds and older horses He said that twoyearolds were wrecked because of being hustled along by their jockeys in the bid for posi ¬ tion at the turn but this condition was elim ¬ inated in straight racing where the riders were able to permit their mounts to settle in their strides gradually before asking them for full speed speedOther Other subjects included a listing of post positions with the entries and the added starter evil The latter may be done away with in the near future while the matter of announcing the order at post when the entries are released the previous day is to be discussed by the commission along with numerous other items that came up in the meeting with newspapermen The method of smarting also came in for a large share of attention and a vote on the matter showed the gathering overwhelmingly in favor of the walk up However no ac ¬ tion by the commission in this matter may be expected for some time although the commissioners apparently intend to talk it over as well as to get the reactions of horse ¬ men and others as they realize that this is one department of the sport that cannot be altered overnight or even in a months time timeThe The fact never was so evident as now that Bwope Sloan and Whitney are greatly in ¬ terested in furthering the welfare of New York racing and they are not sidestepping any issues Many of the changes and im ¬ provements they have fostered should not have been initiated by them but in the ab ¬ sence of progressiveness on the part of the track owners and anxious to pull the sport out of the doldrums they have gone beyond their province on numerous occasions occasionsThe The commissioners must be commended for this in addition to doing their own job well As long as they remain in office and regardless of what unnatural conditions may arise the public can feel confident of getting the fullest protection and their moneys worth at a New York race course courseThe The Belmont Stakes will be run at Bel ¬ mont Park this afternoon with Omaha promising to prevail a very stout favorite despitaftis defeat by JRosemont in the With ¬ ers arfd the sensational trial over the mile and half distance by Cold Shoulder Oma ¬ ha has everything in his favor love of the distance ability to carry weight and proven class Rosemont has speed and can handle his impost as far as he goes which most ex ¬ perts believe is not the Belmont route Cold Shoulder evidently has speed and he Is bred for distancerunning but he has yet to prove his class and weightcarrying ability That he is an improving colt is established and it Is not surprising considering his breeding His sire Display never reached his peak until well into his threeyearold season while Discovery a son of the Iron horse was pretty much of a failure as a ju ¬ venile Cold Shoulder was the same last season seasonIfthere Ifthere Is an upset in the Belmont which Is highly improbable he probably will be the one to cause it
