The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-02-01
COST OF HoRsE-RAclMs.
Seven Tracks Near New York Alb.
sorb Eight Millions q Year.


is credited with having said that 70
Y every wise man in the world Their
J were ten full-fedged fools. Sine,
then the proportion may have beer
! increased somewhat. If the story
| told by professional gambler las
f evening is true, the percentage O
!, foolish persons has certainly not
, decreased any since the days of the
sage.
'How much do you suppose il
costs New Yorkers-by that | mean
New York city and vicinity men
for horse-racing every year?" said
the gambler.
"Well, I've been figuring it up"
he added, land, as near as can esti-
mate, it costs to support seven race
tracks, hundreds of horses, jockeys,
stable-boys, trainers, and all other
expenses of racing, at least $8,0OO,-
600 a year. 1t costs about $3.50, 900
to keep seven race tracks in order
alone. These are the Westchester
track, or Morris Park, Monmouth,
Sheepshead and Brighton, the sum-
mer tracks, and Elizabeth, Clifton
and Guttenburg the winter tracks.
Then there are small expenses like
printing, advertising, say $4,000;
salaries of judges and starters,
somewhere about $4,000 or 100000
more, and endless other expenses.
Now add to this the expense of
feeding, sheltering and taking care
of 500 horses, to say nothing of
Jockeys fees, and the sum goes far
into the millions.
"Do the owners of stables pay
these expenses? Not much. All of
the big stables come out ahead every
year, so do the racing associations,
jockeys, stablemen, trainers, start
ers and emphatically bookmakers.
The public pay for everything.
They pour their money in at the
gate, roll it out at the bookmakers'
stalls, pay double for everything
sold on the track, and the book
makers, yenders and others turn
over certain percentage to the
racing association.
Perhaps a round 81 100000 is
spent in car fare by frequenters Of
the race tracks in a year, but tt.
chief thing to be considered is the
money the public pay for the priv
ilege of backing their opinion.
Right here let me say that there is
but one way to bet on a horse race
Never bet unless you 60 to the
track, and then make a small bet
in the French mutuals. If you bet
against a bookmaker, remember
you are betting against man who
makes business of what you make
pastime.
Racing associations fleece the
gamblers or bookmakers, who in
turn fleece the golden public. Take
for instance these small winter
tracks over in New Jersey now.
They couldn't exist if it wasn't for
the privilege money paid by from
thirty to fifty bookmakers. This
money pays for the keeping of tthe
track and purses, and the inciden-
tails come from the gate receipts.
Figure the expenses of one days
racing at Clifton-a little one-horse
track. Say 1000 persons go to the
races and pay 81 apiece to get there,
including admission to the grand
stand. That is $4,000 gone some
where. Of these 1000 will lose an
average of $40 apiece, which makes
$4,000. Some will win, but fully
one-half will lose on the best days,
the average is oftener
about two-thirds or three quarters {
osers. The public pay, therefore, I
about $4,000 to $4,000 day to
he bookmakers. There is mis-
aiken idea that bookmakers dislike {
% pay money that is won. Some
persons even taunt the bookmakers s
yhen they cash ticket at the track.
The truth is that a bookmaker is
veil satisfied to cash every fourth
icket, whether on a favorite or
short horse. It gives him a Gus
omer or victim. All he wants is r
hat his customers shall come !
lgain. Come every day for month !
md then figure how the cash ac- )
count stands. No man has ever !
ollowed horse-racing for three sea- .
ons and come out ahead when he :
vas on the outside. Few can come =
'ut even on one week, month or !
eason. The chanaes in favor of >
he bookmaker in the long run are !
900 to /, and if it wasn't so horse q
acing would have died q natural :
leath long ago. !
THE regular summer racing sea- :
on will be inaugurated next year :
With purses amounting to a for j
une. Fully 100000 or $5OO,OO0 /
7ill be staked on the result in bets. E
II this fully one-third will 60 to the i
as clear profit. Now the =
question is, Is horse-racing worth =
8, 100000 year TO the 100000 +
ace-goers who pay it?'-N.Y. Sun. q
The Length Of the Day. p
o.ol DE-