New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-13
TALK ABOUT TURF AFFAIRS.
A wEsrERNER ON RACING IL THE EAST.
LESS SPORT AND MORE DESIRE TO MAKE

MONEY-THE JEROME PARK MEETING.
Racing In the East is a farce. both az spectacle
and for betting purposes. AS far the sport Is
concerned, nobody in the East associated with rae
Ing a nickel about 1t so long large receipts
at the gate and from the betting ring continue to
swell the dividends OF the track-owners."
The foregoing remarks by leading Western rae
ing man. who is also an extensive bDseder. caused
some OF yellow jacket turf hornets of the East
TO look shocked and 10 ask the speaker to explain
his reasons for talking in that way. He went on:
"It IS all in a nutshell. You cling to the relics
Of an age that has past. The few fossils that re-
main as specimens OF the golden age Of racing have
only a legendary conception of what the men who
started the spor, in this country desired Some Of
the men who are a power the turf to-day pose
as the embodiment OF the ideas of such able
turfman as David Durham Withers. Now, every
body who transacted business with MIR. With
is aware that he was man OF strong prejudices
In many things but never permitted them to inter-
fere in the slightest degree with racing and its
management The men who now claim 70 repre-
sent the old school. Wthers type Of racing men
look upon the younger the turf with dis
dan and ask in scornful tones and sneerng
manner: What do young men know ABOUT TURF
affairs?' So wrapped up the yellow Jackets In
their own Of superiority over their Fellows.
because Of their former associations with men VINO
did know and frequently anticipated the wants OF
u
to become a fixture to be enforced; for the reform
might possibly expose their useessness for anything
except ornamental purposes. All OF the old fogies
who talk Of the old days on the turf and parade
their great knowledge of the turf and its require
ments inherit all the prejudices from the late d. d.
Wlthers without displaying an iota of his judy
rnent and executive ability. Not one Of them pos
sesses or ever did possess atom of real love FOR
racing az a sport. II there was one man with one
half the ability Of D. ID. Withers In the ranks OF
the turfmen OF to-day Monmouth Park would not
be n barren waste and racing with betting feony
In New -Jersey.
"Whv. larger fields went to the post when thor
ouehbreds were not one-th!rd as numerous as they
are today When at least 5000 persons assemble
TO witness six races in which forty entries are MADE
and only twenty-four horses go to the post and
when they see such reversals OF form In horses that
have raced for three months. can any man In tho
East say that racing Is not In fair way to fall
10 pieces because of the prejudices which Is fos'
tered by some OF these vain fossils? Will try the
West for my racing. there are men or IDEAS
who are active and alert at the head OF racing in
the West The only real life exhibited in the East
for many years at Brighton Beach, when the
Younger men who acted stewards at the meeting
acted promptly and vigorously to suppress crooked-
ness. That such an innovation should take place
n, Rriyh,on caused such a shock to the nerves or
the yellow Jackets that Of them are in state
OF collapse, and shudder whenever the ShieIds ana
DAILY cases recalled
The Western turfman said much more than 10
quoted In the foregoing. and talked plainly ana
forcbly; so much 80. indeed, that one irascioie
turf solon with an extremely peppery temper
snorted with rage; but he was silenced with
single remark and when the Western man had
finished with him he sat motioness and dazed for
several minutes.
DULNESS IN TURF CIRCLES.
There has been little life in turf circles since the
end OF the Sheepshead Bay meeting IL Is con-
coded that the Coney Island Jockey club Is the
leading racing institution In the East ana can hoiu
It's postion In spite OF the united efforts of Its
rivals Or rs one OF It's admirers said In Delmoncos
recently: The Coney Island Jockey Club holds a
ma, hand while It's rivals have TO bluff or draw
cards.
The unqualified success OF the Brighton Beach
meeting should act as warning TO the other asso'
Citations Large fields Of evenly matched horses no
matter what their class may be- FURNISH pe''e'
betting and attract both the public and the book
makers far more than one or two high class horses
opposed cheap selling platers Moreovsr aTge
ay race-goers the that the Wba
are padded so as 10 eG St sse track oicas
At Jerome Park there is an alarming scarcity o.
The country that extremely moderate Jockeys are In
constant demand. AT jerome PARK me holses 'a'
OF a better class than the fields that racer d.
JSrich,on The races which have furnished the best
contests however. have been between horses own M,
nv he brighton BeaCn
Of the secretary is very difficult Small fields now,
ever are pleasing TO the starter. who has done
fairly well since the meeting began. Besd1 1 Inv,
sinuous windings ana the nihny dmsr which arise
Park combined with the clouds or aust MhioL' 80,
tarters more acceptable al Jerome than unweldly
crowds OF fifteen more starters IN the s-vo,
,ons change Of form exhibited by Terrapin IN ms ms
race Saturday as the race was rs, b oi, winners
one o,SnS races az the same distance. Arab was
ridden to win, as Hamilton gave h''" 'e''e
OF course It is all right to ask for explana,onys
from but horses ;hat are ex TaGg Of haf
canr,rv should be as we'll known TO the experts as
the owner /, Is Ike the troting horse Gt've rscor
IN The 9i5 class and the 225 cas- at meeting s,
held in the neghborho9l OF Boston h-o ne fruenty
ard was beaten so badly in the 2S class tna' tne
man was jeerel a, by his friends for staring nIn
b, g 'o aRd ' ead I be 60. darned II don't star.
that In the 20 class have s got e 70 pay good
horses engaged the 2S class 80 M h a6r ' from e 81
WIN the hGrss @ 70 NsFs for on the s2 favores in the
poo I The man from Maine was asked by the
meeting why he siarf the ' answers
oWam Won viii viii have to take your chances We
are not going TO delay the start on accou.' ,bs
your horses breaking in scoring for the woru' 'ne
manager remarked. -, ~, cha,
iIc Will make more breaks IN me pool noH man
ba yin in the race" the Maine horseman ADDED as
he wnsed ~ TNae the Maine horse ala break
in three straight heats and getting record OF 2:.;
There was CONSERVATION in the betting ring as .ne
borse had been beaten in 23a two days before the
Man from Maine was called up and asked 70 eS-
Main IN the Judges the horses defeat In ms pre-
vous race The Maine man pq, his hand i in ms
Ln,s which ne fonded as ne said: II dec!ar.
who Would thought you Boston men ssva would out
nvsaf I'm. can't do II. Suppos!n' we al go 70
gether AMI ask the horse; mebbe ne can zen us,
The Investigation ended then and there; as pre-
yIous TO the race Boston men seldom noticed any
thing.
THE AssIGNEE-ANNIE AFFAIR.
There has been great deal OF tax aoou, .ne
Assignee Annie claiming affair az Saratoga. IL mas
been frequently quoted In an Indirect way tnas u'e
was collision between James Murphy ana "iiain
alxeIand IN the affair Foxhall Ksene. who should
certainly know about the affairs OF the sfap he
better Than outsiders said 10 the writer -. 10
not know Murphy either by reputation or o'nes
wise II Is singular that Murphy should cam As %
sienee when there were so many pe''o' "o'''' ,"
be had by the same methods ,,,. ,,.,
II IS not at all likely that any cosiuslon eA h
oef,Ir honnerpi An effort may nave