New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-09
THE PLUNGERS OF THE TURF
A LOOK AT A RACE TRACK BETTING RIM
HOW MICHAEL /. DWYER. PIERRE LoRILLAKD
,yD OTHERS SPECULATE ON HORSES.

. to n
= caIllope shouting loudly as he can. send up
mighty roar as the shouters call the odds against e
different horses about start in a race Inc ever
moving crowd of LettOrs Is rushing hitler ana uher'
crovding. tostng pushing. II each individuai ~
the ling wished IN an opposite direction W ''
| Of his ne,clnOr. The odds chalkcd up against uc
horses nuctuae rs rapidly stocks In panic on The
stock Exchange. II leaves his post OF ObscFNoh
mingles In the tumuuous crowd IN TIE De'"hH TINS
and studies tie faces OF the bct0rs and their mr!odS
| he will find that IT IS scIioE ara cNacuhg EsN !"
nick the winners and gather some OF the weait" from
the socaed strong boxes Of tho wly b)okmakc'S WHO
ar, willing 10 stake their money against the "pi'"S
of the public in the conviction that III inc o'
victory will rest with percentage when ptci against
| judgment.
II Is Interesting II note t1c plans pursued by the
great plungcrs who bet their thousands on race
Perhaps there IS not u man who makes wager Oh
a race track who has 50 wide reputation Is Mlch"cl
| T. DIVER hes. st the present time Mr.. D"ycr 'eli'
his friends that lie Is far from being wen man ana
declare that lie is nervous and p'evsh. MI D"S'I ?
| commissions are placed by experienced ana shIlui
| commissioners When The bookmahcrs nj the be-
Ginning of the betting post their odds, mesSeng' r
| cspcciallv employed by him carries 70 Mr. D"ycr Il
list OF the odds laid against each contestant III inc
race The odds are no. taken from any particular
slate but rs nearly ms possible they show t average
prices laid in the ring against the horses Mr. D"Aei
| IL "A
| capp card of the horses engaged in tie race Ihcse
cards he carefully studies lie also receives valuable
information from trainers jockeys aud others, when
| he never despiscs no matter from what source W
| comes lie considers carefully the chances 81 cac'
contestant and by the time that he has made mp his
| mind as TO what horse should win ~ looks al INC
odds on the card which the messenger furnishes ml'
and perhaps will ask il So-aDd 50 IS being played
n the answer is in thc affirmative. he turn> aud say
| Pm II,
| Won get a. good rs to TO- put 900 Onetwothrcc.
| I'm addition {, this he often sends $1,000 ar FiVoo
in cash to the ring 10 be placed on horse which lie
| fanclcs.
When Vcndg starts for the betting ring he doe; not
| hurry hut WALKS 40 moderate pace. ON his way 10
| T. ring lie Is probably asked dozen or moro times,
"What Is H. Joe - II the inquirer happens 70 Ice u
small bctor who bets only 81. SO or go Ncndi;
tell, him without hesitation. there arc many inal'
| bcttors who desire - have their money follow W. T.
Dwycr's Judgment. To the heavy bcttors NcTdic l.
Invariably Courteous but their questions by
asking other questions. and keeps moving toward th'
ring When ne has reached The betting booths,
swift transformation takes place. Ncndlc Is Mt once
full Of life and action he rapidly moves along
| the line.
How much do You want ~ So-and-so'7 he asks
quietly Of the boplmahcr and take, whatever amount
the lcoknakcr feels Inclined 10 lay. In ana ont be
| liud the booths H. wcaycs his way until Ills com
missions are executed. lie then returns 10 Mr DIVER
| and tells him that the money 1, on and tells what
| odds the bOohmakcrs have Laid against H.
If Mr. Dwycr IS very confident Of n horse chances
! he asks: What are the odds now 3" and II the an
| swer rlcasos him. he may tell bis commissioner 10
PIT on rs much possible nj the odds quoted
! The commissioners who have be- with cash return
! and hand the tickcts 70 Mr.. Dwycr. Charles D"yer
his SON receives these tlckcis and figures out the
| amounts Hi money once placed. Mr. Dryer sits
and chats with If, friend. until thc nac flli and The
race begins n he wins DC IS communicative and t'li
the rca,l N why be- thought the horse should VIM III Dc
| loses he Is silent and nothing annoy him more than
to have somebody tell him after the race that II was
certain Soand 80 would win. and tlot the horse that
| Mr. Dwycr bet on had chance. Mr. Dwyer viii
| not bet a large amount horse at long odds. bat
| o. to . 10 win 4 10 > FOR place and 10 , one
Two three against a horse that he iancics lie seldom
stops betting until the bookmakcrs cease 10 lay odds
against the horse. \ single Incident of the recent
meeting at Monmouth Park will suffice 10 show how
the odds laid 10y tho bookmnkcrs Influence shrcwd
n bcttor and shi!iuf judge OF horses VI. +. Dwycr
+. When Gold Dollar entered In certain race
| If Monmouth Park Mr. Dwycr decided early IN
the day that the the distance and the weights
was a rift for the 81 Sir Modrcd. III" told his
friends that was the best The card to bet
on. and that ne intended to bet heavily Oh cold Dol
lars chances. When the time came for cold Dollars
race he sent his messenger "A list OF the Odds
!
return and asked Ncndig. who said. 10 straight aud
! 4 for a place. Mr. Dryers Countcnancc fell az
once, and the odds remained stationary for a time
and even heightened toward the CLOSE Mr.. Dwyer did
bet n dollar the horse, but lost $1,000 on one
| of the f1yortes for plic'.
T. Lohllard IS not such plungcr as VI. +. Dwycr
and In fact, T. a moderate bctor compared with some
Of the plnngcrs. although had Locolatchee The
| suburban Handicap he would have taken grcnt
amounts ont 81 tho ring. lie heavily on Nc,u
bulc, and placed his entire winnings and principal on
Locohatchcc's chances. Mr. Lorllard's commi, soncr
has slnccurc all Of Mr. Lorllards turf tranac-
lions are on a cash basis. NJ LoHllad places entire
confidence in his trniucr's judgment. John Huesns
1, very conservative, and IS not wildly enthusiastic
about the horses trained by himself any body else
Iut when Nr. llueg.ns doc advise Mr. Lor.llard 10
bet his comm toner 1, bufy engaged for an hour
or To cash the tickets. and Ar. Lorlilald calls
| for assistance To place his bets from some Of MS
friends Or. Lorlliard keeps itcmizcd account of
| his racing expenditures from day 10 day and from
! rae" 10 race lint by consulting his memorandum
r-snrd TO his winning and lo'scs. Ths bookmalcrs
gladly receive Mr.. Lorllards money. II makes no
| difference 70 him what The odd, against hois"
II h. thinks the horse capable of winning and hc
| delights 10 take long cnancc to win handsomely
with small amount Of money.
g.. II. smith Cfttsburg PM Is well known among
raccgocrs. Nj. smith "a a ruc bets cab and dct'
n his own conm 'soncr. unless on special occasion
when lic wants 10 bet large amount. Then he Is
assisted by trustworthy friends. lie H. not The
great pungcr that he IS reported TO be-. Like II. 7:
Dwycr. no 10 close and keen observer ~ races and
draws his own conclusions ol the form Of the con-
tending horse. one Of his expressions means vol
umes. 1t y: (Which the horses behind. They may
win some day. Anybody Judge the form Of 4
winner but Il requires skin and Judgment classify
the horses that come under the head OF also ran.
Tile ~ bot;Ors. or pierS." they are called.
hre oftcniines rldiculcd by weather gocrs. and
are harshly spoken 10 now and then by Inihlnhing
h0Ohmakc.s, who DO not realize the important part
that the smaller bcttOrs take I'm establishing the sue
cess VI racing II anybody wishes 10 take the trouble
and Will stand In position where he can SEQ ne will
find that almost every person that bets small amount
wears badge which Indicates that he hns pnd Z,
his admission 10 the track and betting ring TN,
small bcitOrs are the ones who help the bo0kmaker
10 round up his book they are extremely fond Of
taking a fycr" for a small amount horses ngainst
which almost fabulous odds offered hy thc book
makers, so that they actually the inansay Of
racing.
"IiEBY'S' LAMENT