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REFLECTION 5 Ry NELS0N DUNST AN NEW YORK, N. Y., May 25.— : Such controversial subjects as off-track betting, night racing, the falling off of attendance at Belmont Park, a public relations medium for racing and the disqualification rule here in New York have come in for their share of comment in the press. We have received many letters on all of these subjects, although the great majority have been from fans who either defend Belmont Park or are against it, and especially the Widener Course. Strangely enough, there seems to be just as many racing fans who are against off-track betting as others are for it. But, one letter that struck us forcibly comes from Alfred Hennin Morris, .one of the oldest and most respected men ever connected with the sport in New York. Writing from his New York home/ he says, "As a member of a family that has been active in racing for nearly 100 years, and as a charter member of The Jockey Club, permit me to express my complete approval of the objections to off-track betting and night racing so ably voiced by Mr. Spencer Drayton and Mr. George D. Widener. I have no desire to repeat what they have expressed so clearly, but I would like to assure you that, in my opinion, if the spirit of sportsmanship and the breeders incentive are eliminated from the turf — which off-track betting and night racing would undoubtedly do — then racing would become merely a sordid commercial and gambling instrument, and its survival would be threatened.; — Sincerely, Alfred Hennis Morris." AAA At the recent convention of the National Association of State Racing Commissioners, the one subject that created interest above all others was a publicity bureau for racing. Lately, the National Association of Thoroughbred Clubs has also been mulling over this problem, and here is a letter from Grant Dorland, Kentucky breeder and the secretary-treasurer of the National Association of Thoroughbred Clubs. He writes, "It was extremely interesting to read in your column that practically every speaker at one of the recent NARC meetings spoke favorably of establishing a public relations program for the racing industry. As you know, the National Association of Thoroughbred Clubs, representing close to Letters on Controversial Turf Subjects A. H. Morris Opposed to Off -Track Betting Some Do, Some Do Not, Like Belmont Park Small Player Says Night Racing Not Needed 1,000 owners, breeders, trainers, race track executives and others interested in racing, is presently considering a program to improve the industrys legislative and public relations. It is my view that a program of this type should be financed by all elements of the industry. Obviously, thei-e will be various ideas as to how a program should be put into effect. The important thing to do is to get something started. We can iron out the kinks as we go along. — Grant Dorland." ▲ A A So many letters have come to us regarding Belmont Park that we can only take one from those who are for it and those against it. F. P. Brewster, of Glendale, Long Island, has this to say, "Your spirited defense of Belmont Park in last Saturdays issue is to be commended. It is inconceivable to this writer that any racegoer can prefer the Jamaica or Aqueduct tracks to Belmont. I should think that any patron of the sport would prefer to spend the long afternoon in surroundings worth the price of admission. As for the Widener Course, I am in favor of it not only because it provides a fairer test between horses, but because it enables Belmont to offer still greater variety in its programs. Doesnt Joseph Burke, of Brooklyn, whom you quoted, become tired of the sameness of the races at Jamaica and Aqueduct. I am one devotee of the sport, and I am sure there are thousands like me, who would like nothing more than an all-season stand at Belmont Park. The only one objection that I have to Belmont is the great emphasis that they place on two-year-old racing. Who really wants to bet on fields of 25 two-year-olds who are either maidens or have not won more than one race in their career? — Sincerely, F. P. Brewster." AAA There are so many letters voicing dissatisfaction with the Widener Course that we are turning to one from Ernest H. Fidellow, of Carlton Avenue, Brooklyn, and who goes into other channels. He says, "Your articles are always of interest to us at our club, but none has approached the borders of mayhem as closely as the one you wrote on May 21 regarding Belmont Park. There are many reasons why we dislike Belmont. In its eagerness to attract name horses — for which the investor gives less than a hoot — Belmonts management is forced to accommodate the rest of the strings and to card events for them. The result is, a mighty few elegant events during the week with an overabundance of mad Widener Course scrambles of often more than two dozen babies. Then again, our discussion centered about the track as a place for investment, rather than as a show place for out-of-towners. After all, New Yorkers do support Belmont. Of course, we are not speaking from the viewpoint of improvers of the breed, etc. Until corrections are made, we believe that Belmont will always be a Saturday track, a spectacle establishment, and a horse show. Jx ng Island abounds in horse shows in the summertime, so it is quite unnecessary for Belmont to rush the season with more of the same to the exclusion of good, solid, substantial horse racing. It seems to us that Belmont has a distorted view of its function. — Ernest H. Fidellow." AAA Many reasons have been advanced for and against night racing, but we thought this letter from Patrick ODonnell of Decatur Street, Brooklyn, would be of interest. He writes, "I am a Wall Street clerk and a very small bettor at the race track. I am not necessarily against night racing for often, when I get away in the evening, I go out to Roosevelt Raceway to see the trotters. But, I fail to see why night racing is necessary, for I fear that the sport would lose more than it would win if this change ever came about. One of my pleasures is going to a track on a Saturday afternoon and watching the horses in the paddock as they are being saddled. In a recent article in Holiday Magazine, Dan Parker said that thoroughbred racing gets the people out in the fresh air. It does more than that, for it allows them to see a beautiful sight and, at the same time, make a wager if they are so inclined. The game would lose much of its glamour if it became a night sport, so why not keep it as it is.— Sincerely, Patrick ODonnell."
