Eastern Racing Finances In Encouraging Condition, Daily Racing Form, 1913-06-17

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EASTERN RACING FINANCES IN ENCOURAGING CONDITION New York June 1C Racing will take place at Bclmonl Park this week on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday If the sport continues to bo favored with line weather as it has so far tin associations that are liuaiicing the racing will have a snug balance on tlie right side of the ledger at the close of the Bclinonl Park meeting on July 5 It is said that the meeting is going aloii of nearly fOoOO The TheDecoration Decoration Pay laid the foundation for this big prolit On hat day r 0KK was taken in at the gate Tlie next day brought out n crowd of about SOOO persons and tlie gate receipts were increased to such an extent that the 25000 spent by the association in placing the grounds in good order was paid off and the track was left with a net prolit of 45000 Since then the attendance has averaged 3500 which at an average admission of 2 each has more than paid the expenses and increased the net profit to 50000 50000The The receipts of the lirst eight days exceeded the expectations of tiie directors of tlie meeting The directors before the meeting bewail expected tho venture would lose money and in order to meet the expected deficiency a morl morlplaced placed on the grounds and an i 000 to help pay the stakes and purses was estab ¬ lished One thing that this new era of racing has demon ¬ strated is that the sport is no longer a poor mans game II is a rich mans recreation In ibe golden days of the turf the owners of race horses came from every walk of life lie wealthy tlie prosper ¬ ous middle class and the o r owner with one or two horses horsesAt At the yresent time there re close to SN horses stabling on the grounds or at Jamaica Gravesend or Slieepshcad Hay tracks Of this number at least 700 are owned bv millionaires such as August Bcl niont II P Whitney It T Wilson John Sanford Thomas Fortune I5yan4 II K Kuapp Francis Hitch ¬ cock Thomas Hitchcock Frederick Johnson Alex Smith Cochran John K Madden W S laiishnw Mrs Payne Whitney P J Nolan and J K Wide ner The others nut in the millionaire class but wealthy include It F Carman Samuel Koss and Thomas Mouahan MouahanThe The man who was arrested on Decoration Day charged with being a bookmaker proved that he was not a layer of odds when the ease came to court and he was promptly discharged This was the only man arrested difriiig tlieJeiglil ilayaot the meeting and tends to prove that the law against hookmaking and gambling is not only being enforced but is being observed by tlliinan wuu pay their ad ¬ missions into the track The patronage has been so liberal that tlie asso ¬ ciations probably would be tempted to race six days a week if there were enough horses If the Court of Appeals atlirms the Scnddcr decision it is believed that there will be an abundance of horses and that the schedule will bo increased to the usual quota quotaSeveral Several antigambling societies which have had private detectives looking over conditions at Bel inont Park have written a joint letter to the several associations which are conducting the meeting pointing out that betting is going on and warning tlio managers that if these practices arc not immediately suppressed arrests will follow It is said that the associations in reply have made it clear that the law has been enforced to the letter and that no public gambling is permitted also that the associa ¬ tions are able to take care of themselves in ease of a controversy controversyNo No attempt has been made so far to bar from tho race track persons whoso business away from the horses will not stand the glare of the searchlight The track managers have been advised to lie care ¬ ful in singling out objectionable patrons So long as men once known as Iiookmakers do iwt violate the law or the rules of the association there is no discrimination They are allowed to visit tlie track where they pay for badges and enjoy the sport together with other spectators spectatorsThe The opening of the inlicld free of charge is calcu ¬ lated to impularize racing A visit to the enclosure on Friday last proved that of the many hundreds of visitors who accepted the invitation to see tlie races for nothinig comparatively few made bets Thj race track detectives were on hand with instructions to see that there was no speculation but they had little or nothing to do Tlio free crowd came from neighboring towns and included many farmers who naturally believe in horse racing and enjoy it as a spectacle If this plan wercjHissible on such a track as Sheepshead Bav which could be reached for a livecent trolley faro it is believed that at least 20000 persons would attend the races in the infield The fact that nearly half this number have seen the horses run at Belmont Park without paying for badges is taken to mean that racing without bolting provides plenty of amusement amusementAccording I According to the olhcial figures the attendance is steadily increasing On Friday last more than 5000 racegoers paid for badges badgesSol Sol Allenberg was asked to leave the track on Friday last because it was charged that he was too active as an oral bettor bettorOral Oral speculators are allowed to settle at the track up to 2 oclock each day The rule in this respect is ironclad It is enforced to prevent the passing of money when belting begins beginsK K F Carman is training his own horses He is up at dawn clocking the horses himself and attend ¬ ing to all the details He makes his own entries and gives riding orders to bis jockeys In former years be left these matters to trainers who did not suit him witli the result that he concluded to do the work himself himselfKddie Kddie Burke once a big bookmaker and his close friend George Considine have Iteen wntcbing the races from a private box Burke has practically retired from the business of laying odds and is now chief owner of the Havre de Grace track in Mary ¬ land Considine too is satisfied to make a private bet now and then just for fun funSpalding Spalding J Jenkins a member of the Baltimore County Bacing Commission was among the recent visitors at Belmont Park He was accompanied by Thomas De Ford of Baltimore BaltimoreTlio Tlio straightaway races are unpopular at thp bjg Nassau track for tin reason that spectators cannot distinguish the colors until the horses reach the last furlong postIf post If was discovered after his race of Friday at Bclmont Park that Gallop was suffering with a case of bucked shins shinsIt It has just been learned why tlie racing associa ¬ tions selected Jamacai instead of Aciueduet for the meeting to follow Bolniout Park The backstretch at Aqueduct has been practically ruined by heavy rains and to put it in sliap would cost many thous ¬ ands of dollars Jamaica on the other band has remained in fairly good condition The track is nearer the ocean than Aqueduct and is therefore cooler in July It is also more convenient for horse ¬ men who have permanent stable room at ISelmont Park The Long Island road is making improve ¬ ments on the Springfield branch which rims past the Jamaica track and it is promised that trains from tho Pennsylvania station will make the trip Inside of twentylive minutes


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800