Eastern Racing Managers to Meet This Week to Decide on a Course of Action, Daily Racing Form, 1913-02-25

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] + * I EASTERN RACING MANAGERS TO MEET THIS WEEK TO DECIDE ON A COURSE OF ACTION ■I r ri * I : l I . .£,_ , — i« York. Febmarj 24.— While there is general i- cing an - New York horsemen over the deci -ion oi the ipneilate Division ol tin- Supreme tourl in ihe. Iaul sii.iue i-.-i--. the fracfc managarx are not yet ready to announii: Just what will l»- done to wards ihe restoration of Ihe s;»ori in Ihe state. Laeh on.- who Ma- been xeeii -iiu that racing would only !••■ roudnetcd nailer the law. l nt all are hopeful tliat iln- deelxioo will be upheld by tin-Conrt of Anpenla, If the opfinwentx -ii racing care in fa that far. From the lieglnning ••! Ihe tilit .-i.-iin-; Ihe sport the hi-_ tracks lia al all limes shown the same -l i-i tun to initiate with. ii the law. and lie-various arrests which in no Instance has resulted in a eeiivieii.in. I- the best eviilence that the sale desire U to remain law abiding. It i- agreed ..u all sides that Ihe decision was ..r -i-: import a ix-e t.- tin- sport, bnl until the various track manager* route together it i- impos-dhle to -a in- what will he the result. A mcetlug of these auuMgers will I., .--ill.il within ill- ih-m few ■lavs, ami the advice of eonnsel tag in-1 what i-|ins-il.!e iind.-i the decision will be to. lowed onr. The breeding Interests of the eoimtr.t and par ticulnrlt ol the Armj are auini-K awaiting a setdemenl of the question, for apon It rests th tat lire of Ihe tlioroughbred Uorxes in ilii- i-.ui.n r. . It has been [ ni fin-th hi no less an antlmrlty tlmu i:ii i.en. Leonanl Wood, rhteff •■: staff, thai the thoroughbred is the only bn-ed thai i- qnalilied to rnrntxh snl table motion*: -• ibis i- um ..uiv I Ighl for the hexl of all •mi-, wtl :. |.ai i hd Ic affair. At iu-i Belmont, chairman ol the Jockey Clwh. i,-, hied today t.- call a spe ial mwtlug of the dl I..1..I- ii. iiuixiiler Whether racing saotttd l -- re vived ii NewYork state. The meeting will he lu-1.1 as -eon a- possible. Mr. Beliuotil -a:.l tmlay that the directors will he asked to determine whether -i, |,- should In- taken -J. view id Ihe decision hi i In - Shane case, toward r!ic re-«qiening of N.-w " •■ -idle tracks. ••v. are «•• g iug i« lie preeliiitate in Ihe matter," In- said "a there .iv. :i anmher ■ f thlng.t io In- • -..i:.-ii|f red hut tin- question i- to be di--e aimed." While oaVials oi tin- Jia-key Clnh are extremely ■narilHaajl to 41 tw* their plana, one ol them saM to « veiiiii tor: ••No aiiiieiiTiitiiieiir wlH In- made until the track managers _.-i togetlter and decide upon i trsc ..: action. Bnl I u.a say this: It i- likely thai racing will begin on the eastern tracks this spring. hut it will mn be an osaenmtions dUplay. After w • uei started wi will soon timl ont whether Ihot ouglibred racing shall survive or perisn. •Tlie:e are emaagh l-huI horses leli to make a respectable sin wing, i.m the hms already to the breeding Industry ol the Inlteil States since the tracks dosed down in 1910 i- Incalculable. I dont believe thai anybody can estimate It. The loaa to the Barely commercial interests In New York alone run- far into im- millions. •Indei- the present laws it would be Impossible io establish the pari-mutoel system of betting, bnl that may come later on." Eugene Wo.mI. a large xtockhoMor in racing a— -eiation- in :1 is eiiiinlrv. -aid thai be helieve- there will in- amendments presented to the people hj tb ne; Constitutional Convention, in 101.". which will establish racing in Sew York State on the same lines of government ihar foster, the sport in European countries. "Already such amendments luiv.- been talked nt ami considered i.y some of the amst prominent law vers In the state," said Mr. Wood. ••! am a great believer In having -tale controlled racing, as ia France, Germany and other Raropean epontrles, all oi which derive great benefits from racing contribu urn,-. There will be no trouble In regulating tin-spoi-l in the state. I feel sure that the convention will take -.me action on the nates t Ion, and that it will not ni--i -m-li opposition thai the sport will be ostracin d In tlii country . •I.vi-rv state in this country should pa-- laws regulating racing." coo tinned Mr. wood, ••and accept the taxes derived from ii and uive it the protection II should have against the Barrow-minded fanatics. 1 should net he al all surprised i: the constitutional amendments will provide laws adv-. eating the pari-mutue! system nif speculating op -nurses when- racing i- being held. The hundreds oi thousands of dollars thai have been spent abroad instead of ia Ihls country in Ihe last three years should be snfllcienl reason for changes in the law* it for economic purposes only. "Only those who have been abroad sad -een for themselves tin hundreds of wealthy Americans who spend their winter- and -mnmers there on account of the freedom and surroundings, the amusements and -ports they can enjoy, can estimate the amount of money 1hat has been driven limn thi- country, much of which would have bean pat in circulation hi-i-e Imt foi the rabid and drastic law- and per -oiial selfishness of political .line holders. "-1 va- always sure racing would be revived in tlii- country, and for ihai reason would not permit, where i had any Influence, any of the courses 1 am interested in beins sold or cut up or leased for anv purpose Imt racing, it has east a lot of money to pay for the upkeep of the tracks around her.-. imt they are preserved, and I hope soon to see tjn-day when the lags will he tying over at least sobm Of the track- and that mans of the owner-, trainei- aml oekeys that thi- -oiintrv has provided fot Europe will return here and bay and prod nee the best thoroughbreds In the world." riniip .1. Dwyer, who has more money Invested in ra.-e track property than anv of in- associates, i- Irmly convinced that the restoration of racing * will be on .1 muck higher plane than it ever was 5 i.eioi, ii,. has always looked ;•• the cleaner -i.l.-of the sport ami has declared he would never open* 1 he gates ai lir.ive-eini or Aqneducl again unless remedial measures were taken to eliminate ohjee tion.-ii feat ares. "Every one knew that racing wanted regnlatlag." said Mr. Dwyer, and it was only * question of I late. Now that the atmosphere has beea somewhat 1 ,i H, d. I suppose tin associations will he hrongbt j together for the common cause ami discuss the b.-st 1 melliod- to eondint the sport as it shoiiid Is* eon- ,-ducted. Tin- Jockey Club Is the ruling body, and I , am a stendfasl .l. ek--. 1 lub man. There mu-i be a rallng body la every great sport and Industry, j and whatever the Jockey Club think- it best lo do 1 I shall abide by, hut of com-- ■ tin- associations will 1 have some |Mmpositions to put before the board. *Bnt there i- plenty of time to talk these matters i over, as we eoaM m i think of racing before May I hi .Inn.-, in the tii-~ 1 place, arrangements have been mad.- 10 bold meetings in Maryland and Virginia. : ami 1 dont think anyone would wish to race la opposition to those tracks, as it would not t«- fair ■ after granting dales to them lo Immediately start racing, as it would mean considerable Injury to the attendance and the distribution of horses would : detract from the -non thai they have provided tor. ■Y. shall never race hen- against the laws of tin state." declared Mr. Dwyer. "We shall ei the 1 opinion- of counsel ami have the law defined as it -laud- today according to the decision fast handed down, then we shall know ju-i how far we can go without incurring the enmity of the anil racing people. We want lo iuii,[ meetings for recreation and pleasure, !• !■ no matter what -mn- persona may think, there will not be any money made, at least for a few ye;u- and there never will be the profit -that oin-e accrued from Ihe -port. "Of course the deei-ioii of the Appellate Court i- favorable, and. while 1 dont think it ha- any effect mi the directors liability law in regard to profi --iona I bookmaking. il certainly doe- protect the individual from being molested and harassed If lu- -houid make a wager that i.m- borne will lent another or that a cert a la horse will or will not win a stipulated race. But, as 1 previously stated. I i.m not :i lawyer dud until the matte;- i- tfieroagulj defined 1 can only gtve my prrrrma opinion on the question. "I am getting on ia years and I feel the Ion of raring possibly more than any one in the business 111 a physical way." continued Mr. Dwyer. M want to see the -port revive. 1 for snorts sake and for the preservation of the American thoroughbred. J want to gel the outdoor exercise and meet my friends in Ihe clubhouse and grandstands. I never eypeel to 11, al.. a dollar ont of racing, and w ill I, ■ perfectly satisfied it we caa give meetings at Brooklyn and Aqueduct ami over expenses. In years lo come, may be, some one else might make a little money, but I know it never will be during my lifetime. All 1 wain i- clean snnr: for Hie excitement, recreation ami Ihe satisfaction of knowing that Hie people of the country have respect for the horse.* Tin- Morning Telegraph comments editorially as follows: "Should horse racing return to the State of New York as a result of iln- favorable decision that ha-beea handed .low u by ihe Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, ii will be much more widespread in its benefits than anything thai ha- been done for the breeding Industry -ime the original passage oi the Haghes anti-racing law-. It was the banish ins of tiie spoil in this state that drove thousands of ihe liest thoroughbred stallions and mares to foreign lands, ami ii was ihi- same hanlshim 111 that .-.wakened the whole lounfry to the menace. ■It has In en shown Conclusively that the Inileil Slat- Army was sadly in need of suitable remount-, and all of Hie best authorities have pointed out thai it was the thoroughbred that was best ealcu laied to Improve the breed and the oaty suitable sire to produce cavalry remounts. The closing of. the race track- brought about ihe rinsing of many of the best thoroughbred breeding farms. Thai wii- inevitable. Only those who bred horaea for their own pleasure ami not for -ale could afford to eont inne the industry when the market for iln-foals was uone. New York ha- ever been ihe market for the Iboroughbreds, ami ii was the race Hack and the prize- hum; up by the associationx thai brought about that condition. "A resumption of racing In New York is the only way timl the wholesale depletion of tim thoroughbred stock may he cheeked. While the therongh bred horse always was and always will be much more than merely a racing tool, the race course will always he the only testing groom] of hi- quality. n i- by racing that breeding profits, apart from Ihe market atone in the much more important mat ter of making possible the proper select ion in tin-niaiing of horses. It is there atone that the -u pcriorily of tm- individual and of the blood lines become apparent. •Ii wa- ra.ing that brought the American thoroughbred to his present high -tale of developmon t . just as ii has always been racing that has told the tale of improvement in the breed from tin- liine of Hodulpliin Arabian, the desert horse thai w.t- the par--ni root of the great ones, but that would now have absolutely no chance to cope with hi- descendants. Without this testing ground the magnificent structure would never have been built. ami the American horse would never have been other than a stunted drndg ■ 1 rather useless play thing."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1913022501/drf1913022501_1_7
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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800