New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-04
ON THE TURF.
OBJECTIONS TO SHORT sCRAMBLEs.
INJURIES THAT RESULT FROM THESE RACES
AND FROM OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Nothing can be palmer than that gambnhg mas
been made too conspicuous and too Important o'
the turf. In order that the turf may regain us
former popularity and may secure puollc CUM
dence. organized gambling must be kept "','..
reasonable proportions. and must be put ~ VI"
background. Before bookmaking was H'Ioouo
into this country racinP was mucn more i~s''o
. able than It is now. and the attendance =, '
members OF well-known clubs ana OF Peope "a
wealth. culture and refinement was lar i"'e
than II was in 1892 and 1892. twenty year "s0
Murray Hill was represented az Jerome fsfh o'
the most fashionable people More than uo%o'
four-in-han1 coaches have been drawn up III ''ie
In front OF the Jerome Park clubhouse on Si"se
racing afternoon. In those days Jerome ar
sernbed in gayety. in charm, and In the charac'e'
Of attendance the famous English Ascot athous''
If course everything much snatl'r scfe
than upon the celebrated English course Inc miro
ducton Of bookmaking had mahgn influence vi
racing Year after year bookmakers grew s'rohs'i
and more powerful. and fastened their evil grip
more firmly on the Jockey clubs In recent ga
sons the betting ring has been, unfortunately tne
principal feature Of American Tace'racks ins
ought not to have been. and the effect mas pee"
most disastrous
RIIGuTINC EFFECTS OF ANARICE
7, racetrack gambling had not assumed 30 por-
tentous proportions If the revenue from tne oe
,ng-ring had not been looked upon with SO nuch
rrasd and avarlce by the holders Of racing STOCK
the disgraceful scenes that occurred at Monmouth
Park and some other Eastern race''"0N. ''
wear would not have been nearly so haeraht Gnu
insufferable as they In their grasping oesiie
10 increase the revenues from the bettng-rihs 'ie
Eastern Jockey clubs have adopted every means
10 multiply the number of bookmakerS' AS eaon
bookmaker paid 800 a day into the treasu'S VI
the Jockey club the racing ORGANIZATIONS nave oo'"
scbeming and planning in recent years 10 increase
the number OF bookmakers. and thereby eNp'io
their receipts But the bookmakers had to max
a living. and many of them We're oen' oi 49, r,
their pockets by any means-iar vi io 49,,
predominance the overwhelming influence OF ''e
hetting-ring have increased turf scandals 10 "
fr,gbtful extent The bettng-ring has been largely
responsible for the alienation OF puohc FAVOR io
the destruction of public confidence In racing anu
for the driving away from the racecourses y, Wy
,asbionahe people who focked to Jerome Faih
hotora hookmaking was known in this country
For number OF years after Leonard W. 'eio''
August Belmont William r. Travers. D. -: WINES
and thei- friends and associates 1ouhueu 'e.o"
park there were no boolmakers and the betting
Of the races was carried on In such way as u
offend and disgust the patrons of the sport. hut
since then American jockey clubs nave pern"''eN
bookmakers to race horses to dictate Inc aIla"se
nent Of races 10 decide the programmes Tor 'he
meetings and generally TO control the turi lus'
as they pleased. Unless radical reforms are maue
Immediately racing ought 20 be suppressed alto
gether Unless the betting ring Is properly re-
stricted unless gambling is kept within sh'ao'e
limits the Legislature of New-fork ought 10 pass
laws which will stop racing completely Inc pet'ils-
rings Of the racetracks and the operations or the
bookmakers ha ye worked the most grievous ana ex-
tensive injury. Public sentiment will not long 'oi-
crate so offensive and Objectionable gambling as
that practised in the bettng-rings OF the Eastern
racetracks in racing seasons and fashionable peo-
ple will not go 10 racecourses where such abuses
and evils are conspicuous.
WHY BoOKMAKERs LIKE SHORT RACES.
The aim and ambition Of all the bookmakers Is to
stimulate and increase the gambling. Hence thev
insist upon q great number Of short races These
short races damage the turf. They injure instead
of improve the breed Of horses. They stimulate
the production OF short-winded. fant-hearted. Ill
made imperfect and unsatisfactory animals. The
American turf is cursed with a dsgraceful excess
of these miserable scrambles and sprints The ring
element on the turf. the who are In affiliaton
and sympath with the Tammany ring and with the
Brooklyn ring. the men who controlled affairs at
Monmouth Park, Gravesend and Morris Park last
willing sacrifice all the true interests OF
the sport, all the reputation all the honor all the
decency Of racing to promote gambling. TO increase
the power. the influence and the evils and abuses o:
the betting ring. 1t is due TO these men and TO the
bookmakers that the prog ,mmeS OF the meetings
OF the Eastern clubs have become worse and
year after year. The number OF contemplate short
distance sprints. scurries and scrambes has grown
greater with each succeeding season. The distances
of races have been cut down. and the interest Of
honorable and upright people in contests of the
turf has been destroyed largely because
sble and intelligent person feel any enthusiasm
over the despicabe and detestable little scrambles
and scurries which now disgrace the programmes
of the racing organizations. In THE Spirit OF the
Times OF January q a correspondent. over the
signatur. OF 'HidalgO,' has some earnest and
spoken words on this subject He writes with
great and force. His article thoroughly in
terestng and admirable.
IT WILL CRAFTY EVERY REAL FRIEND OF THE
TURF.
Here OF the points he makes. Every
earnest and honorable friend Of true sport will be
gratfed by this attractive and earnest letter:
clamorng for the aboliton OF races under a
mile except for two-year-ods and yearods in May
and June. Let those which meetings in those
months give threeycarol stake furlongs. and
one OF seven after nothing than one mile
for anything but two-year-olds Garry further
give half-mie after July l.
and OF hve furlongs after August IS.
ollaged division, with ouryearods the youn9es;
sge represented nothing less than mile any season
Of the year consider these GIG and lie being
fractions.
1t may lessen the number booknakers to paw 800
apiece per day for the stalls but 1t will Increase
attendance OF better class people the
betting business into the hands respectable
Of penciilers And it goes without saying that it will
the business trainers great many who
follow II and really know nothing conditioning
horse for ANYTHING above spin six furonys
In youthful days, before l TO California Thomas
Patterson trimmed for Captain William Corl OF Mobile;
Mr. Pool for Captain Goldsby Of Selma c. Graves for
Hon. ID. f. Kcnner. OF w.Orlc1ns; A. J. Minor for
Colonel Bineoman ]. j. Pryor for r. Ten Brock A. w
Small for W. J. Minor. and c. p Coye FOR Captain J.
X. Duke. And while preference Of the seven would
always have been Mr.. Pryor yet other SIX were 90
evenly matched in point q ability could generally
rely IL that the best tie roce Those
men made the horse and his condition the study Of
lifetime and richly deserved the professional reputation
they lad acquired.
TIMES HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE WAR.
But times have decidedly changed they were
previously befo' de wah." Now We find about two
WhO hay uuto
Iaratory discipline Of jockey or rubber So long as
trainer now does not have run his horses above six
frongs he do has 10 do IA 10 keen them
clean ana make them cat Once they lame he has