Evening star., 1894-03-12
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.

IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.
Mr.. A. ]. Cassatt, the well-known Phila-
delphian, accompanied by his family, are
at the Arlington. MIR. Cassatt is one of
the American turfmen whose colors are
synonymous of honorable sport, and who
has always been most Jealous advocate
of improving the methods which govern the
sport of kings in this country. He chatted
Interestingly this morning about the rev
American Jockey Club, of which he was a
foremost organizer. 1T is a mistake to
imagine that our club is to act as a board
of control over the eastern racing tracks,"
he remarked. Its primary objects are to
systematic and simplify the running CT
race horses on the four tracks IN the vi
cinity of New York; the three in New York
state and one in New Jersey, although it
will extend its protection over other tracks
that may request 1t. Our board of stewards
will have numerous duties to perform, and
among the most important are the ever
seeing of the personnel of the officials in
charge of racing at the various meetings
held under its rules The judges, starters,
and what is now called the clerk of the
scales, who supervises the weighing of the
jockeys, must meet the approval of the
board, one steward of which must be p-es-
ent at every such meeting. OF course. the
club will not interfere in any manner with
ing merely supervisory in the connection i
have indicated.
Then we will seek to prevent the clash
ing OF dates between racing associations,
which has been unfortunately prevalent in
the past. For instance, If two associations
decide upon the same week in which to
begin a meeting, our club will endeavor to
bring about a change, and in case they are
obdurate, or one refuses to withdraw or
postpone, one will be recognized by us and
no horses or owners running under our
rules will be permitted to run at the cCn-
hicting meeting. In case they should do so
the horse will be ruled off tracks under
our protection, but this penalty will not
extend to either the owner or the jockey.
do you believe the new club will take
any action regarding the scale of weights
at present in force in the east?'
Il believe they will be made higher-some-
| thing on the English plan. 1 believe the top
weights in handicaps will be advanced in
order that poorer horses may have a show
to win against the cracks. With the top
weight at l21 pounds, as ii is in the Brook
lyn handicap, a fair horse has little chance
to win, and it can be easily seen that the
public appreciates this, when the ,op weight
carriers are usually made the favorites in the
betting. l think the handicap weights there
fore will be fixed at not lower than eighty
five pounds. with the heaviest say at 132
pounds. The rules have not yet bean estab-
lished, but l believe they may provide for
something of this sort"
DO you anticipate extending your inf1u-
ence to the western tracks,"
LAS 1 said before, the new club was Or
ganiZed solely for operation on the tracks in
the vicinity of New York, but * will recog
nize the forfeit list and the penalties of such
western associations recognize its own"
by the way, is there not a movement
looking to the abolishment of the forfeit
system in connection with the entries in
fixed eVents?"
There are great many people who seem
to favor such change, but / imagine il
will be difficult to bring it about. great
many believe 1t would do away with
great deal of trouble If an owner was COM
PEELED, when he entered horse in an event,
to pay down a certain amount, and on a
certain date, if he desired to keep his horse
I'm, to pay any additional sum necessary,
but the owners do not look kindly on such
a proposition.
Take the Futurity, for instance. The
mares are entered three years before the
race takes place. Now, an owner would not
care to put up Sl5 in cash on the unborn
colt. because he would think Ii a consider
able amount of ready money to tie up out
of reach for that length of time. whereas,
under the forfeit system, he will continue in
possession of it until the day of the race
In case his entry was declared out when the
time for such declaration WIS rea ched The
new club will enforce forfeitures however
very strictly, and its penalties also.
What is the outlook for racing this
year,"
There will be good sport, believe but
/ think there will be none in New Jersey
The race tracks became numerous there
and We're run SO directly for the profit OF
their owners that public sentiment became
aroused against them. So, / repeat, think
there will be no racing in Jersey this year.
Il think. continued Mr.. Cassatt, that
our club will work eventually toward pre-
venting the increase in the number of rae
ing associations, well as to keep them
from being run for the personal profit of
those interested in their management. This
VIII be following the English plan In 1888
the English club adopted a rule. or rather
saA ertier providing that thereafter il would
recognize and give a license 20 10 race
track in the united kingdom other than
those already organized and in operation
other than in very exceptional cases. In
this way British cousins warded eff
an evil which we have already felt the ef-
fects of in New Jersey. The owning Of
race tracks became so enormously profit
able that everybody wanted one.
ID. ID. Withers had the proper idea about
conducting q race track and he carried il
out at Monmouth Park He believed that
no more than q per cent profit should be
paid to the investors and that any surplus
remaining should be expended in improving
the property and given to the horses in in
creased purses and stakes. Con sepleatly
Monmouth Park has never paid more than
q per cent and the rest of the profit has
been expended as indicated. Mr.. Withers
thought such a plan would improve the
sport and l agree with him. l believe or
club, therefore, will lend its influence to-
ward preventing the numerical increase of