New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-12
THE R1CING SEASON.

In these April days turfmen's thoughts are
turning TO handcaps and stakes, TO weights
and trials, and the chances Of the cracks " OF
the great stables for winning the fat prizes of
the year. These prizes will be richer than ever
before. and the owner of high-class horses can
count on handsome gains. for never were there
so many stakes, never many entries and
never so generous Sums set apart for added
money and purses In Louisiana the Spring
meeting has been held already. In few days
the dust will be shaken by fast-hying hoofs in
Tennessee, while next month the scene will
change to Kentucky and the little meeting at
Lexington will be followed by the big one at
Louisville. Later comes Latonia with st.
Louis at her heels and midsummer will see the
elimination of Western racing ut Chicago.
Meanwhile the East will be busy. Washing
ton will start brilliant series. Baltimore Will
continue the carnival of sport, Jerome Park
will open its venerable doors, the young, rich
and energetic Coney Island Jockey Club will
throw wide its gates in the rare days OF leafy
June, while Monmouth Park, stanch and
strong, generous and broad minded, will keep
up the excitement through the summer. The
little side-show at Brighton Beach with its
crippled hacks will do its best to diminish the
prosperity of older and more reputable organi-
cations. but the District Attorney of Kings
County may checkmate all its plans.
There will be giants on the turf in the swift
approaching days. When the cherry and black
of Pierre Lorillard, the red and blue of the
Dryers, the Maltese cross of Clipsiana, the
orange and blue of WestbroOl, the trcolor of
A. j. Cassatt, the al-back of D.. d. Wthers,
the stripes of Erdenheim and the blue and red
Of Mr.. Tiden's friend, the young Sage of Erie.
are blazing on our race-tracks, then hearts will
beat fast and eyes scan closely. In Wanda
and Drake Carter, in George Kinney and
Barnes, in GOanO and East Lynne, in the
mighty Gleneg mare Louisette and the re-
juyenated Triton, in Brook wood, Mkado.
Rataplan and Florio, the stables Just named
wall have representatives that will equal if not
surpass the triumphs of older years There is a
host of other horses. fleet and stout-hearted.
that will win renewed hOnors before brown
October comes. while the 1.-the young two-year-
olds will be rushing to the front in bright-eyed
legions.
Racing associations everywhere outside Of
The counties of New-York and Kings are con-
fident that they will have more prosperous
season than ever before. But at Jerome Park
and Sheepshead Bay there is some doubt and
some dismay owing to the position taken by
the authorities concerning betting. Racing
will never be conducted long on a great scale
or be largely attended, if betting is wholly SUD-
pressed. That is evident from turf experience
in all countries. IL may be lamentable, but il
is true. The gambling spirit cannot be slammed
out. 1t will be gratifed, if not at the race
course, then in Wall Street or in the grain pit
IL men are prevented from backing their
fances in horsefesh they will gamble all the
more furiously in stocks or grain, in cotton or
pork. Gambling will not be done away with
altogether until the lamb and the lion find
daily delight in each others society. But
gambling in the way it is carried ON Mt
Brighton Beach should be cut oil altogether
With the most contemplate meanness il
searches the pockets of the bootblack and the
newsboy for their cents and tempts the youno
clerk to risk his hard-earned dimes. All the pool
rooms ought also TO be shut up. They attract
young men and boys to gamble on races which
they never see and on which they would other
wise have no chance to bet.
But to permit pools on race-days on the
grounds of the American and Coney Island
Jockey Clubs is another matter. No pool
tickets of less value than So should DO sold. IL
the gambling is confined to the Enclosures of
such associations and limited to race-days, it
will not do much harm. The men who lose
will generally be losing their own money and
not money stolen from employers, and their
losses will not hurt them. To permit gambling
to go on unchecked for o hundred days in the
year at such o sink of iniquity as Brighton