New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-21
ONE-TWO.T THREE BETTING.
A SUBJECT THAT AGTTATEs THE BOARD OF
CONTROL.
PHILIP DwYER IN FAVOR OF ABoLI5TING 1T on
ACCOUNT OF THE FRAUD WHICH IT EN-.

PHILIP DwYER IN FAVOR OF ABoLIsHING 1T on
ACCOUNT OF TIE FRAUD WHICH IT EN-.
CoURAGEs-MR. w1THERs AGAINST HIM.
The Board Of Control has been having fun with
Itself over the 0ne-tw0-three betting. Mr.. Wthers
never bets. and possibly does not have so clear an
understanding Of the ring Philip Dwyer. but he has
seen ut to take issue with the president and auocra
Of the Brooklyn Jockey Club the question Of doing
away with the onetwo-three books. When the Sage
Of Brookdae starts horse lie gives his stableboys
So apiece TO bet on him. and that is in reality about
the extent Of his knowledge of betting. Dir. Dryer
was for several years the betting member OF the firm
OF Dwyer Brothers. lie used to wager 100000 where
Miclncl Dwyer wagered 500. Recently he has al
most ceased 10 bet, while "Mike' has become and is
recognized as the great American punger. Presumably
Philip Dwyer knows something about the croohedness
Of the betting ring, he has had trouble enough
with the bookmakers TO turn any mans hair gray
He knows that onetwothree betting is the incentive
10 more fraud on the turf than anything else that
could be mentioned, and Is In favor Of It's entire aban
donment John Hunter, whose friends like to bet
onetwothree. and whose life, so to speak, was saved
several times last season when DagOnet was third has
taken sides with Mr.. Wthers against Mr. Dwyer,
and is cxerting whatever influence he may possess to
retain the one-two-thrce feature in the ring. The
other members Of the board neutral. Mr.. Hunter
charges James Galway with being the disturbing ele-
meEt In the board all questions He does this
humorously Of course for 1t is said that Mr. Galway,
matter which side he starts on, invariably winds up
with the majority. He is too magnanmous to Quar-
rel with any OF his colleagues He yields to their bet
ter judgment gracefully If he can but at any ratio he
yields. Mr.. Morris. always amlable. waits to hear
every side before deciding Then he puts his foot
down and you know where TO find him. lie has taken
active part In the discussion OF onetwotlree bet
ting. Mr.. Lawrence defers to Mr.. Withers Mr..
and Mr. Mnprde hut t0CAc
sight Of his interests. lie is willing to fall In line.
providing always that Tammany Hall Is not to be
offended II is no secret that the management Of the
Coney Island Jockey Club is largely a Tammany af-
fair. Its relations with the poOlrooms, through the
accomplished John NJ. Bowers, is sufficient proof OF
that assertion.
However, all talk of abolishing the one-twothree
books is likely to end in smoke Mr.. Dwyer seems
to be the only member o: the board in favor OF doing
away with them and there is no doubt that he could
make stubborn fight. for in the board his influence
is strong but rather than force the issue he viii drop
the subject and pass on TO something else
There is O growing sentiment among racegoers In
favor of Stopping Onetwohree betting, and Mr. Dwyer.
who mngles freely with all classes Of turfmen Is only
voicing their wishes when he takes up the cudsel
against the frauds perperated daily by men in
the ring who have become known to the rae
ing world as "undertakers." The "undertaker'
was never heard of In this country till the one-two-
three books gained firm hold In the betting ring
Two years ago there a solitary bookmaker. Glea-
son by name. who began laying onetwo-three ODDS
He may have piled his trade honestly; no charges
have been preferred against him. He certainly phei
II prosperously and other bookmakers gradually fell
in with him. Soon the ring was half hlled Win
onetwothree books, and all did successful business.
The public liked three chances Instead OF one OF t"o anu
as the odds One-twO-tTee were nearly always wlthih
point or two Of those for place. the advantages OF
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WHISPERED about the quarerstrech that the onetwo-
three bookmakers were not dealing fairly Ihey were
LAYING longer odds all the time for third place. OUT
somehow the horses expected to be third were Gener-
ally beaten off, pulled up so as TO finish iourth OF
fifth or anywhere in the ruck. MANY tunes morse
that should have and that If run honesIB couu
not have been worse than second failed 10
get even third place, and the public money
bet straight place and 0ne-twothree was podrea 'o
the Golfers Of the ring. 1t was an easy mater Ior d
one two three bookmakcr TO say TO a Jockey II you
can't win, pull up and don't be third" There IS 10
rule Of racing requiring that beaten horse shali DO
ridden for third place, and 1t is not on recoru 'A'
Jockey was ever punished for not riding out Tor
third place.
Much of the heavy betting done in these days by
the so-called public is against horse instead OF Oh
him. An owner, for example, who thinks his morse
cannot win, or who does not want him 10 WIN OF se'
a place, goes into the ring and gets friendly one
two three bookmaker to lay against him to the ex-
tent of BOO 10 5000. In fact he himseH Turns
boolmaker. lie Is making book - on the ground
as the phrase goes. Other onetwothrec DoohinhAers
take the tip and lay long prices against the horse
Who of course, loses, even iii he has TO be puied 10
do so. that Is, pulled Of third place, which he
coud have secured without effort. This Is not re
carded by tho smart owner or trainer as deliberate
fraud because there is no law against IT, But ue
"innocents," who have grasped at the long ohc-t"o
three Odds have been plundered-
A Jockey and an owner trainer may be ruled OF
for pulling horse out OF first place, but they may
pull him out of third place six times a DAY Will
IMMUNITY. Hence there is but one thing 20 90 10
check the existing evil, namely, wipe out tie one
twothree books or make rule requiring hat horses
shall be ridden out for third place. such rule is
dsapproved by owners, who declare that they couia
not afford to have their horses severely punished ana
possbly laid up for so Insignificant sum as Is gen
orally given as third money. The public believe that
all horses should be whipped out till the winning post
passed. which is but natural as they are accustomed
TO view racing from the point of view OF be ting alone
on the other hand the owners OF horses mnst pOeSe
their property. 1ney regard 1t as hardship 10 DC
required to drive beaten horse TO- MS ast gasp lop
500 or less owners and the public can never agree
on this subject, and there Is no use III Trying I" phb
them together ,, ,,.,u ,,o,,,
that in great stakes such as the FutuTty the zeal
iaation the Brooklyn Handicap and the SUBURBAN.
there is no attempt to pull horse out OF tDliu Place
WHy, BecaHso the IhiM money is worth racing for
and every owner wants to win nt }oehey n e,uIs
ali their handlcaps. sweepstakes and purses, tnere
would be no end Of ne evil, rs common morse misnt
easily secure third money three or Jour tmes ui,y
yriib6ut benc able TO capture first money once, ana
there would be no inducement 1Or MS owner e'cr "
No there seems TO be but one way out Of the DIM
entity Take Philip Dryers advice and abolish ev05
onetwothree book III the land
THE GOSSIP OF THE TURF.
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