New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-20
DEAD HEAT IN THE OMNIBUS
TOURNAMENT WINS THE RUN-oFF.
srxAToR HEARST GETS HIS SECOND BIG STAKE
THIS YEAR.

sENAT0R HEARST GETS HIS SECOND BIG STAKE
THIS YEAR.
Dead heats not few have occurred on tho Ameri-
,.n British and French turf, but that stake OF the
smportance and value Of the Omnibus. and at so long
. distance as a mile and half should require
secord contest Is unusual incident In racing.
Only FIVE for this prize at Monmouth Park yes
t.rday although 1t was worth about S23ooo TO the
srst horse. OF these five two came from the Erie
cable of william L. Scott who present, and who
decided after consultation with his trainer to withdraw
paDouet and to commit his fortunes to Chaos and
Torso The DIVER Brothers withdrew Sir John, who
would have had no chance with a seven pound penalty
which raised his weight to 125 pounds. Mr.. Withers
took out Chicftain. but sent his unnamed colt by
Knclke-Fan Fan TO the post. The weight penalties
and allowances such that Torso ridden BY Carl
son carried the top weight, 1o3 pounds Senator
Hearsts Tournament came next with l16 pounds, and
was ridden by Hayward Mr.. scot's Chaos carried
only 10 pounds and had Hamilton in the saddle.
while the Fan Fan colt weighted at 1l3 pounds
and ridden by Taylor.
Neither the trains. the grand stand the ground
were overcrowded, but the attendance fair The
bookmakers have profited too largely at the expense
of the public since the racing at Monmouth in 1880
was opened to keep up the number of spectators u
the striking and splendid total of tho first few days
Tho great majority of racegoers in these days can
afford TO 20 20 Monmouth only once a week, on the
frugal and psrsimonous and save up their pennies
for six days in order that they may turn over their
savings to the bookmakers on saturdays. There
are not q few pleasant and agreeable men VINO
hold stands in the betting ring. ard perhaps there
is nothing by threshing at old straw. but
that the system pursued at Monmouth gives the book
makers an altogether undue advantage and leaves the
public altogether ineXcusably small percentage OF
chances In the long is plain as the sun at noon
day. 1t is puzzllng that Mr. Wthers cannot see what
Is so obvious TO every one elSe-tlat the western rdo
compelling the booznakers to give odds against a
stable In any and all races and never against single
entries when any stable starts than one horse, is
q lust and equitable and the only fair rule for
the public. The West In some matters Is far ahead OF
tho East on the turf The rule about betting on
stables and not single entries has been in force
in the West for time and gives general satstac
ton Another rule which the East ought 10 adopt is
that limiting the number of races at shorter distance
than a mile. except for twoHearodS. With the
enormous and excessive number Of stakes for twoyear
oldS at Monmouth this season, with the appalling list
OF short sprnts and dasheS there is grevOus danger
that the American Thoroughbred will become oi aboa
much value for staying and lasting purposes as the
fzz of Chinese frecrscker These brief bursts. these
brcathlesS sprints these hurried scrambes not true
racing at all They like the spinning of a roulette
wheel. They exist and kept up simply and solely for
the promotion of gambling. Now this huge and costly
park at Monmouth should not get the reputation OF
existing and being carried for other purpose
than that for which the Philadelphia Clubhouse at
Long Branch has its being-the cultivation and fevcriSh
expansion of wildly speculative spirit. the risldne Of
money Oh horses the toss of card at baccarat
or at faro. the whiring Of marble in the roulette
wheel. How ignOble, degrading and contemplate rae
Ing becomes when kept up in this spirit and Sis
tanned for this purpose only But this is the tendency
at Monmouth and more conspicuOusly and depOrably
in this year of grace $50 than in any previous
The old warnings against gambling which come
down through the centuries. even from the time Of
ST. Augustine and Origen, are applicable with ten
fold force 10 betting the when racing is con
Quoted in the way in which it is now managed.
Gambling is undoubtedly a pernclouS vice. but all
those who have inveighed against it have agreed
that It's folly and wastefuneSs clearly apparent
outside Of moral considerations altogcther-ficm the
fact that the gambler must lose in the long The
fal bank the roulce-wheel, the bGccaN game rouge
et-noir, trente-etQuarante and everything OF tat
sort, give certain percentage Of advantage To the
banker dealer. and every who bets on cards or
risks his money in Wall street operates in various
other ways, must know in this day of enlightenment
that he is opposing his purbnd vision, his dazed and
wandering intellect, against an irresistible ana In
vncble percentage of advantage But II IS clearly the
auty OF the men who manage race-courScs TO reduce
this percentage against the PLAYER TO some moderate
and reasonable standard. Nr. WitheTs and his aSs0-
Gates however, do not take apparently the
least interest in giving the PLACER a fair
chance. Their sympathes. so far as they can
be estimated from their policy and action are
wholly with the bookmakers, and wholly against the
public players. Otherwise they would see 70 II that
the Western rule of betting against stables is adopted
and above all they would to it that the English
rule forbidding bookmaiers to ply their trade on a
race track on which they horses should be enforced
to the letter. Never a man lived who could make a
plea OF the slightest FEASIBILITY in favor OF this
miserable system of allowing men 10 run race
horses and at the same time 10 Offer
odds against their horses in the books
There cannot be the remotest excuse apology for
1t Such a system has not leg 10 stand Iiu Of
the eighty bookmskers in the ring at Monmouth at
least 25 per are interested IN one another
In horses that running at Monmouth such
scandal would not be tolerated on the English turf
for day. How can any ono try to palliatc it or
stand up for it? The statement Of the thing
shows it TO be nuisance and abuse so incredible
that it Is amazing that it should have been per
mitted u have birth.
At Monmouth the boobmalcIs have every.
thing their way. They run horses. they
control trainers. they govern jockeys If these
boys their apprentices their own
children. AZ other tracks they may be kept In
check TO a certain small extent by the fact
that there exists against them the feeble competition
Of the French pools, and even few courses The
additional small rivalry Of the auction pools. At
Monmouth they have rivalry competition what
ever. Many Of them give absurdly short ODDS against
horses and nearly al Of thase who occupy tie stands
at Long Branch growing rich with apidity that
is entirely gratifying AID delightful to them Mica
while the pockets Of the public become daily more
mcagre and scanty.
After these few plain words certain things
that cry aloud Tor reform and spare not, will 70
back TO the Omnibus Tournament always the
fsvorte In the betting; in most Of the books at
to on. some adventurous bookmaker, offered 10
to Z on. while Others timd would only give
to on. Chaos steadily the second choice at
TO and IL 10 ]. The betting against Torso
was and TO /, against the Fan Fan colt about
the same, and agaiIs st Folsom practically what you
liked.
Chaos went ont and made the pace, closely attended