Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-09
PROSPECTS FOR RACING
Efforts to Change the Senate's Action on
Pool Selling.
Probable Opening of Two Tracks I'm
Virginia - Jackson City and St.
Asaph the Sites Chosen,

Inc amehoment by the Senate Wednes-
day last OF the bill introduced to allow
oookmaking in the District has, it is gen.
orally believed. practically destroyed rae
Ing here, unless the Senate reconsiders its
action In adopting Senator Aliens amend
ment- The bill reported to the Senate pro-
Vided that the acts of 1888 and 1891 to
prevent gambling should not apply during
spring and fall race meeting not exceed
leg eighteen days each, at the Benning and
IVY City tracks, and that the race meet
II gs should be held between the LIST of
March and the 18th of December On the
notion OF Senator Allen, the bill was
amended as to provide that the two tracks
might provide racing between the LIST Of
April and the LIST Of December, but made
no provision for a repeal of the existing
laws against gambling. That is, Senator
Aliens amendment declared that while
there could be racing between the dates
FAMED there should be no bookmaking
or any other form of gambling at the tracks
during the racing; leaving the law in force
as declared by Judge Cole. In dispoSing or
the motions 10 quash the indictments re-
turned against President Engman of the
IVY City Jockey Club. and against Book
maker Marvin and his three clerks in
connection with the quickly disposed of
WINTER race meeting at the Ivy City track
last December.
Racing without Betting.
Another sIect of Senator Aliens amend
ment' which appears to have been lost
s-snt or, was to prevent racing, even with
out its necessary adjuncts. bookmaking
and pool selling. between the LIST of Dece1n-
Der and the LIST Of April. 1t will be remem-
bered that Judge Cole did not hold that the
acts OF 1883 and 1891 prohibited racing at
any time or at any place within the Dis
trlct merely deciding that those acts made
II unlawful to conduct bookmaking and
pool selling at any place within the Dis
trict Hence. racing, without bookmaking
throughout the whole year. Senator AL
len amendment, however, makes the
period between the LIST of December and
the LIST of April a closed period. His amend
ment was adopted. and the bill as so amend
ed passed the Senate. So, should the Sem
ate bill become a law, winter racing Is one
great evil which the people of the District
will never again confront This bill has
been engrossed and sent over to the House
OF Representatives. and the question which
Is now being agitated Is, what will become
pf 1t?
To Arrange Differences.
As heretofore reported in The Star. bill
has been reported In the House providing
that the acts OF 1888 and 1891 shall not
apply to the spring and fall race meetings
at the Benning and Ivy City tracks; that
the meetings shall not exceed eighteen days,
and that they shall occur between the LIST
OF March and the 18th of December. The
managers OF the Bennlng and Ivy City
udchS cldlrn Inat the House Will pass this
cill In the shape mentioned herein, and it is
not at all improbable that they are right in
50 claiming. Should the House pass 1t,
there would then. of course, be quite a diff
OF Congress. Upon the passage of the
House bill 1t would be sent over to the Sem
ate. and then the question would have to
be settled The local racing people. it is
said. believe that in the event of the passage
by the House OF its bill they will be able to
secure Its adoption by the Senate. despite
the wide differences between the two bills.
~ Is understood that the managers Of both
the local tracks are willing to accept SO
much or Senator Aliens amendment as will
prevent racing between December 1 and
Aprii 1. and as will prevent more than
single race meeting. not exceeding eighteen
Gays. each spring and fall at each track
provided. Of course, provision be made for
permitting bookmaking at the tracks during
most determined effort will be made by local
racing people to secure the consent of the
Senate TO the adoption Of such a measure.
Track at jackson City.
Meanwhile arrangements are being made
for the rebuilding and constructing of race
tracks across the river in Virginia As re-
ported IN The Star several days ago. the
Jones brothers and others propose building
a track near Jackson City. on the site of a
race track which some forty or more years
ago was the scene of some of the greatest
races in the history OF the American turf
a.
quired land. and have also become pos
sessed of the state charter under which the
CID track was conducted. The required sur
veys have been made, the necessary lum-
per Is being landed at the place, and IT is
hoped by the projectors of the track that
racing can be inaugurated this spring. To
star reporter Ned Jones stated that the
people OF the District might rest assured
that only racing of the highest quality
would be witnessed, and that everything
possible would be done by the managers Of
me track to prevent anything the least bit
objectionable. 1t was not proposed. said
MI Jones. to conduct or permit Continuous
racing, IL being the purpose Of the mana
gers to provide a spring and fall race meet
ing every year of reasonable length IN
which the best horses in training would he
attracted. The track will be a seven-furIone
enc. there will be stables built for 500
horses. and the grand stand and other
necessary buildings will be of the most o.
tracuve description.
st. Asaph's Track.
II the plans Of certain New York r.c,n,
people do not miscarry, Il is understood
mat the half-mile track Of the Gentlemen,s
Driving Club. in Virginia, near st. Asanh
junction. about half way between here and
Alexandria. will be enlarged to a full mile
stables will be built to accommodate OO0
horses. q commodious grand stand erected
ana the track converted into one which will
RANK second to the best in New York. The
d
ton years from ]. NJ. Hill of Alexandria,
Messrs- II. d. Mcintyre, Thos. F. Eagan
and ]. Nelson Kirk becoming the lessees
These men are well known in the racing
circles Of the country. MIR. Mcintyre being
particularly well-known. where he was for
several years the secretary Of the old Ma
tonal Jockey Club. He has, since leaving
Washington. been the secretary of the
Brooklyn Jockey Club, and occupies the
highest position on the American turf. He
u the right hand man Of the Dwyer Broth
ers, the famous BROOKLYN turfmen. and il
u therefore not unreasonable to conclude
that the Dryers are really the men behind
the movement securing the Virginia track
The improvement of the track will be too
extensive il is understood, to permit 1t be-
ing opened before next fall, and the inau-
gural meeting will probably be opened the
10th of next October, Immediately after the
conclusion Of the New York racing season,
which closes October Is. The inaugural
meeting will not be less than twenty days
In length and may be continued until win
ter sets in. 1t is said that winter racing
will not be conducted. but that racing will
be resumed early in the spring, and may be
continued until the New York racing sea-
son opens May Is Should the track of the
Jones Brothers be a go. however, IT Is I'M
derstood that the New York people would
agree to an arrangement Of dates satisfac-
tory to both tracks. Both tracks, II Is said,
will be run regardless of the District tracks,
even IL Congress should lesalize bookmak-