Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-18
TROTTING TOPICS.
Repeal Of the Ives Bill Nay Not
Affect Harness Racing.
ROBERT Us BIG WINNINGS.
The sawcd-On SON OF Hartford Leads the
Bfoaey-Earners with Nearly
$4,000 TO Ills Credit.

(New York Letter in philadelphia fress''
Aa the time draws near for the COM
ing into erect OF the new constitutional
amendment in this state, the alarm
which pervaded the racing world imrhe-
diately after the election lessons visipN.
The dismal foreboding that the repeai
Of the Ives Pool law would Danish ootn
branches OF turf sport has been largely
aisneIled and the discussion has nav
taken a practical turn. 80 FAR as mar
ness racing Is concerned, the situation
viii no no worse than It was previous
10 the bit OF special legislation winch
licensed betting between May 18th and
october 18th Before the Ives act came
into eject the law against any form OF
gambling was well defined, but only at
rare intervals was II enforced on any OF
the numerous driving parks throughout
the Empire State.
Buffalo has held a summer meeting
for some thirty years past, and the local
authorities seldom or never interfered
with the various forms of speculation
employed in connection with the annual
visit OF the sulkies to that city. That
trotting fiourished there long before pool
selling was legalized may be gathered
from the fact that in 1870 q purse OF
so 900 was competed for by eight crack
campsirners. This rich event not only
brought together an unusually large
field for those days. but attracted the
crowd as wel and so much money was
a.. hot n
out afterward, the best horse did not
win.
Al Rochester, Utica, and Poughkeep--
sie which have all been in the line OF
the grand circuit the local sentiment III
favor Of harness-racing weighed down
the effect OF the old law against pettihs
as Il had done at Buffalo. win the eA-
ception Of Rochester, however, the puDlc
patronage fell off so much even since the
-, rim nassed In 1857, that both Utica
ard Pouehkeepsie have not been pront-
,bic places for the large stables, ana the
former dropped out Of the line four years
aro THE real cause OF these failures 10
boId successful meetings arose from the
way in which the pool-box dominates
the contests, so that only those Wno
IN English turf parlance were IN tne
know" had anything like an even cha"oe
for their investments ,,.os
law the professional gamblers nave De
come holder I'm their operation, ana ~
would require no expert in detective WorA
10 take I'D the threads Of past caInpalshs,
and discover scandals even worse thah
those that have been brought TO heh''
So large a part of the revenue on mus
eastern tracks has been derived from the
sole OF betting privileges that the IIse
opinion regarding the abolition Oh this
feature in New York STATE was a 49,.
unanimous in declaring that trottlhs
,a,S 80 90 ON without speculation Even
the nresident OF the State Breeders AS
sociation who resides at Waterloo
made n dillgent canvass in his own county
against the antl-betting clause IN tne
amendment and succeeded, In the race Vi
a largo Republican majority, in securing
,ts defeat there When the annual meet
ing Of this same breeders association MdS
held at Rochester, on the 4th instant ~,
7 w. Day, the president referred 10, SOU
during an interview that the measure t "a
bad fought against month before "oulu
aesect bis association very little. he 1ur-
ther remarked: II think the new law %
a good thing. generahy speaking, ana e@-
,roesed the belief that the Grand CIRCUIT
,,iu continue In this State, as nerelolore'
This breeder and turfman is by no means
tho only one who takes hopeIul view u
tho situation, and has grown recoiclleu
"a the order OF things that VIII coiie
with the new year. 49,
The scare is practically over anu 'te
only Immediate result so far as caii ~
now foreseen is that the DRIVING ciupS
must endeavor TO make up III k"Ve .
co,nts the revenue that formerly came
en-, the betting-ring. 1t has been hinted
that the next Legislature will pass more
str,npent measures than those now III
ovistence so as TO conform to the spirit
Of the anti-gambling clause; put TINS Is
mere speculation Contests IN hght nai
ness. honestly conducted, as puoIc
snectacle were never more gehelaily
,,onuIar in this state than to-day, ana
ne season OF 1895 will help to determine
whether the betting feature IS the ohe
that has contributed most TO this emu.
Looking at the condition OF the trot
ting turf In the country at large, aiiail
are I'm a happy condition, the past seS
son having been a profitable one through
onf the republic Associations that were
NOT able 10 make both ends meet IN les
have Maid their premiums promptly thl'
wear. and the tracks that nave had sOO'
standing formerly earned more MONEY
than ever before during the eampalgi
that has Just closed. The earning caPa
c,tv for the horses has increased proper
tionateiv and for the first time in tn
history Of the sulky PAGER leauS liz
list of winners.
ROBERT US WINNINGS.
It is quite in keeping with the splendi'
feats he has performed on many track
that Robert ]. should be more richly re
Uarded than any other OF the stars ina
nave furnished sensations this season. HI
regular campaign began when the Gran
Circuit opened at Saginaw In july. an
mn to the time he started for Cahforni
last month the champion stood credite
with gross winnings OF $29,Sl5 Wnhe
considerable part of this came from spt
cial purses for exhibitions hopert
secured larger sum In hard-tought Iao'
against other cracks OF 'he lreeo o.
class. He record is sweeping one ~
tha marvellous little gelding did not SUI
fer single reverse, and though ne lost
Few heats. II Is now conceded that Il
might have won these IL II had Deen ny
cessary. His driver Geers, says tnat ~
bert ]. has a habit Of slowing up nut
after he has got on even terms WIN
opponent. and that this mas ehaDie =.
clover pacer TO outfoot him on more ina
one occasion. After the second heat
the free-for-all at Cleveland, where
closed on Saladin and seemed TO have MI
beaten. Robert ]. made a break near n
6nish which enabled the stallion to beS
him by a neck in 2:O6h. AS he got OF
Of the sulky Geers remarked: he loafe
A little on me that time. but l won't |
fooled again" BY keeping tight rel
on his nervous pupil, the Tennessee rein
man landed the race quite easily att
this one slip.
Again at Nashville the now famou
dead heat with John r. Gentry, GeeT
Thought he had the stallion champio
safe, as Robert J. had led from the bac
stretch and held the advantage comm
home. At the critical moment, when No
Henry made one Of his demon drives wit
Gentry, and Geers tried 10 respond wit
his PAGER, Robert j. failed 10 answer III
call OF rein or whip He was clearl
beaten, and only escaped by the obliquit
Of vision that characterized the judge
and finally resulted In the decision thi
did not decide.
Next TO Robert j., among the sid
wheelers. is his great rival Joe Patches
who had landed little over $4,000 !
TO q recent date, with few more ei
eegements in Texas sim TO hear fror
There are four trotters ahead OF IN
stout black PAGER and a 3-year-o
heads all the rest Of her gait. This
Beuzetta, whose big coup In the Ke
lucky Futurity at Lexington last Oct
Der enables her to make the handson
showing OF $22,Sso. Mary Best. who
but year older. Is close after Beuzet
with 81 .05o and had she been In form
Terre Haute last August, where she WI
favorite In the purse won by Silicon. d
honors would have gone to CaIiforn
instead OF Kentucky for trotters.
Third on the list is Nellie A.. anoth
product OF the Blue-Grass region VII