New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-15
TRICKS OF THE TURF.
c,opr OF KINGS HAS IN A GREAT
MEASURE BECOME THE L1vELI-
HOOD OF GAMBLERS.

,h Hockey Club at the close OF their inquiry
~. necuar circumstances OF the victory
oos,odar at the Chantilly Derby-a victory
VA 70 his owner NJ. Michel Ephrussi, being
~.,ed and hooted off the racecourse. The
s-a,rg Of their Judgment is identical with that
',,h they had issued a couple Of weeks previ-
lis, IN the case Of the strange running at
.rchamps OF Toujours. where both the jockey
-. the owner. NJ Edmond Blanc. OF Monte
81 fame. were most severely handled by an
orv crowd and owed their escape from
-.o-ss fate only TO the assistance Of the police
IA mounted soldiers. In each instance the
-.ousrds declared that they had failed 10 Sc
.,-s sufficient proof OF the existence Of fraudu-
g., r,anoeuvres" While the general public has
..or loud In its denunciation of the undecided
.ors Of the report. on the ground that 1t con-
,,,ned no definite pronunciation as 10 the guilt
=, the innocence of the parties concerned. those
rho possess any inside acquaintance with mod
-, racing and Of the turf methods Of the pres
-, enoch will be the first TO recognize that the
.,suards had no other course open TO them. 1t
a, almost impossible nowadays to bring home 10
.,v stable or TO any owner OF racehorses
,hsrees Of unfair dealing. no matter how loud
and positive the voice of popular accusation, nor
hov great the moral certainty of guilt. so many
ga the forms Of crookedness and tricks that en-
.Ns inscriptions racehorse preprietors TO get
tho hest Of the public and yet which cannot be
s.ani,eIy proven They as rule Of rela-
,,sv recent origin. and in Europe, at any rate.
a.,. from the time when the turf ceased to be re-
.,-,cted 10 the aristocracy and to the gentry.
r,o regarded racing from a purely sporting
o,r, n, view and was overrun by the masses
,ho consider II solely a means OF gambling
.,d NJ speCulation. 1t is for the most part no
,oneer an amusement or e sport. but merely
hus,ness transaction. The questionable methods
.rd sharp practices of the Bourse have actually
,,vaded the racing stables. which are now alas.
4, MANY instances no longer the property Of
territorial magnates and great mobiles. but Of
s,ockbrokers traders and even Of persons who
own and run gambling hells.
A brief description OF some Of these trickeries
a, the European turf Of the present day may
osrhaps be OF interest 10 the reader. who, Ike
all good Americans, has. am sure. very warm
corner IN his heart for everything pertaining 10
snort. The same practices may prevail on this
side OF the ocean, am quite in the dark about
the turf here-but at anv rate my remarks may
tend 10 show .he transatlantic frequenter or Old
world racecourses to what an extent every
thing connected with the alleged trial of speed
IL cut and dried In advance.
Thus favorlte form Of trckery. which Is.
nerhaps unjustly. ascrbed by popular report to NJ.
Michel Ephrussi in connection with the victory or
his horse Gospodar at the French Derby, Is 10
have the favorite OF the stable entered for. say,
the "Poule des Produits." taking place two or
three weeks prior TO the date fixed for the Chan
tilly Derby or the Grand Prix Any former
successes that the nag may have had are made
the most CT; its qualities Wanted In every pos
sible way and the fact proclaimed that one OF
the crack English Jockeys has been engaged TO
ride Il In the race. Instead however. Of being
subjected 70 strict training and plenty Of exer-
clse Il only has short canter now and then.
while two days before the event 1t Is allowed
70 eat its fill Of clover. The result Is that the
horse is as limp rag when the "Poule des
Produits" comes of and notwithstanding all the
efforts Of its famous Jockey, finishes among the
hst running In the words Of It's rider. like a
perfect calf" The general public, which has
laid its money upon the favorite. having lost
heavily goes home convinced that the horse
has developed bad qualities and firmly deter
mines never TO risk anything upon 1t in future.
The owner and his friends experience. therefore,
no difficulty In booking any number Of bets and
obtaining heavy odds against the horse winning
1t Chantlly CT the Grand Prix When. after
being pentifully worked every day during the
Intervening fortnight and tudiciously fed on oats
instead of on green stuff the horse. after secret
satisfactory trials wins hands down. the public
begins to suspect that there is something wrong
and sometimes gives vent TO IT'S sentiments by
endeavoring 10 subject the owner, trainer and
Jockey TO much the same treatment as that ac-
corded 10 welchers on the English turf. THIS
form Of crookedness is. of course. one OF the
most difficult acts 10 bring home 10 any stable,
and consequently 1t ia pretty frequently in
dulged In on the racecourses OF France, Ger
many and even Of England.
N. Edmond Blanc's mobbing at Longchamps
was due to his horse Toujours having broken
away out Of the racecourse; a favortte means
OF throwing race, and one which the race
gong public might consider as due to mere accl-
cent We're II not too often repeated. NJ. Blanc
sable. although one OF the finest in France, en-
JOYS an unenviabe reputation in this respect
MS methods are the reverse OF popular. Inc
pubic has no confidence in them. and the senti-
ments that generally prevail with regard there
70 were wittily expressed by Henri Rochefort,
VINO In response 20 an inquiry as 10 what could
possibly have induced President Grevy (acting on
me nomination Of his son-in-law. NJ. Daniel Will
'on) 10 confer the Cross Of the Legion OF Honor
upon NJ Edmond Blanc, remarked unkindiy,
Vh' cest pour avo!r arrete un cheval' III $
Tor having stopped Chat is pulled horse"
Al Brussels last winter the Jockey Club made
'ne discovery that the running Of every race vas
arranged In advance by the six or eight prin-
spal Jockeys Of the Belgian turf. who formed a
A'no OF syndicate and were wont to meet on
me evening before each raceday at an English
sa'e1n In the neighborhood OF the Northern
"auroad terminus for the purpose OF deciding
VINO were TO win. AS they were the Ieadins
'Vkeys. and such had the best mounts, the
matter was not very difficult for them TO ar
.anse and they must have realized respectable
~''unes before finally having their licenses
."norawn from them at the close OF the inves-
~aIion similar conspiracy had been I'M
armed three years previously in Austria, lead
$40 the warning off the turf not only OF