The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-31

The Present System OF Betting and Its

The Present System OF Betting AID Its
The seventh annual meeting at the Bunalo rrot-
ting Park commences ON Saturday next. the same
day that the second summer meeting ut Monmouth
Park begins. This is unfortunate for the interests
Of the latter place, as great many gentlemen who
would patr0nze the races will be drawn away to
that more attractive sport to some mnds-trot
ting.
The BufYaoniaDs have had great success with
their annual meetings They inaugurated the giving
OF large purses for troters and have increased the
prizes each year, until this summer they give up
wards Of sixty thousand dollars and even this large
amount OF money will be found too smam
for next year unless the National TrOttng
Convention compels all the tracks in the country to
close their purses the day. which should 10
done to ensure honest tr0ttiDg For some years
past the owners of fast horses have c0ntented
Themselves with second and third premiums In the
early part OF each season. having their horses
pulled and the spectators robbed who have backed
them, not wishing to make record, and keeping
themselves eligible for the large purses at BuffslO
the entries for which do not close until the latter
part OF July There are many horses entered for
the coming meeting that have been pulled time and
again during the past season, and instead OF now
being allowed to enter and trot for the $4,000 pre-
miums, should have been ruled OF the track with
their owners and drivers long since. But we hope
this system OF winning second money without max
ing record will be stopped at the next yearly
meeting OF the National Trotting Convention, and
that law will be made to give every horse a REQ
ord when he wins purse, stakes or match, whether
it be lrst second third or fourth money; and that
they also compel all the trotting associations In the
land to close their purses given day for spring.
summer or fall meetings.
be done; but there is yet another reform which
should be made before proper confidence can be
given to public trOttlng and that Is betting through
the pool seller. There has been more fraud perpe-
trated by this system Of betting during the past
year than before, and more than half the trot
ting contests that taking place throughout the
country at the present time are decided by the
power Of the pool box. As goes the pool box so
goes the race. This dishonest system OF betting
should be abolished all over the country, and the
old style of betting come again into vogue II bet
ting is necessity To show how the pool box ID
manipulated for the benefit of a few individuals,
favortes OF the pool seller instance that occurred
atNew Orleans during the spring meeting will suf-
fee. This was the race in which London and
Cape Race were the favortes. few leading bet
tiers bought both these horses believing that ono
or the other would win, and all the money that
came into the pool box they would thus divide.
These spectators did not put any money into tho
box, and before the race began they owed it
$4,000. The other horses in the race brought
$s,OOO and this amount the Cape Race and London
purchasers divided after the race was over, al
Cape Race won. But suppose Ethel Spraguc or
any OF the other threeyear-0lds had won and upset
''the pot, who would have paid the $4,000 which
was due the boxS Does any one for q moment be-
lieve that q farthing would ever have been paid
II they do they have less fears of reputation than
many who had money in the box on that occasion.
The new style of betting on races-the Paris
Mutuels-in the hands oil honest men, will be great
improvement on the present pool system; but that
instrument we nave been tod can be 80 erranged
tnat fne mnr1 you put down the less you take up;"
and it will be some time before 1t will come into
general use on the turf. Betting, at best, is BAD
business; but as nearly all racing men indulge In
1t, 1t should be made as fair possible, and ass0-
Citations should have no percentage on the money
of their patrons
Buffalo is great place for pool selling The
Buffalo Park Association hire their own auctioneers
besidesalI the icheap Johns" in the town abandon
their legitimate calling to whoever will purchase
Great complaints have been made heretofore by
parties who have been victlmzed by these "out-
siders" and we would say to the managers that, as
their entrance money Is already much more than
their expenses, they reduce the percentage ON
pools and act fairly to all who visit their annual
trotting meetings.