The Washington times., 1895-03-27
The Dear Public Has No Chance
at the Outlaw Track.
THE OUTLAW RING is WIDE
1t Includes Jockeys, Book-makers, and
Others Besides the Management-Turf
Rules Disregarde if There Is Money in
It-Thoss Questionable Races Out of the
straishtaway-Ye Yesterdays Frauds.

nent New York dailies, united on Sunday
in condemning Judge Oysters action OF
! Saturday. when he declined to even aues-
| tion Jockey who had pulled out OF the
race at Alexander Island almost before it
had begun.
This showing up of the methods of the
place has created feeling OF mistrust
among many of those who had intended
patromzng the track. for If the place is to
be run in defiance of all rules of justice,
they decline 10 be caught in the net The
in-and-ous running OF the horses is bad
enough. but with officials making and
breaking rules to suit themselves, it is
not surprising TO see this feeling OF mis-
trust gaining ground
The whole affair is run in a way that be-
| speaks crooked racing To begin with. the
straightaway, which is one OF the king
triumphs OF the management in describing
the merits of their place, is really gateway
to fraud. The races run over it show re.
versals OF form that can not possibly be
| legitimate 1t is laid out in such a way
that it is Impossible for anyone TO see what
is happening dIrng the first three furlongs.
/ This. of course, is very des rabe for the
class or racing that is furnished. The
jockeys know that their work can not be
seenfronl the stand. and they do not hesitate
to take advantage of it. They drop back
out of race. then when the main stretch
/ Is reached, come with rush, but the leaders
are, of course too far away to be caught.
MARKED dope" BOOKS.
To follow form at this place would
soon bring a bettor to the end of his
bank roll. Many, OF course, keep the
dope books" up to date, but their
methods of ca lculation are decidedly
different from those used in connection
with- the racing at other tracks. When
| horse is last one day they consider
| him dangerous element the next Some
| OF the notes used in these books show Just
how much reliance is placed on the form
displayed.
The writer was shown one the other
day which was highly decorated, the red
ink. The notes" were decidedly in
teresting: "shoved in,'' dead"
pulled up at start" take ride"
| kept on outside of track 'short of
work" evidently fed before race"
fake finish" mo whip or spurs"
saved until race was over" were among
the blood -colored comments
The owner of the book is a very heavy
bettor, and is not given to seeing wrong
doing in race unless ii is fully justi-
fled. He was one OF the first students
OF the dope" in this part OF the country,
and does not hesitate TO say that the AL
eXander Island track is the first that he
has ever found where public FORM could
not be used as q guide
When asked ii he had found the rea-
SONS for these reyerSals of form, he said:
There is just one reason, and that is the
total absence of anything like discipline.
Owners and riders do just as they please,
without any fear of punishment"
For decency sake some poor rider is now
and eIen sent into retirement, but il is
only a question OF a week or so before he
is restored to favor again. The idea of
Furnishing those really responsible for the
wrong doing is never thought of.
1t is an open secret that certain book
makers i'll the ring make a business OF
laying against dead ones" for theirowners.
There is very little attempt made to hide
the connection.
BARE-FACED KNAVERY.
This same careless indifference is evil
dent in every department of the track. 1t
is well known that several of the managers
orthe place runhorses Secretary Tompkins
does not attempt to hide this fact
His well-known "cloveT cOlors" are
carried by Grand PriX and several others
This should not be allowed. The horses
are dropped" into soft spots, and as for
/ |
| show that they are well taken care Of
Moreover, they are entered in selling races
at prices which are just about one-fifth
their real value.
No one dares bid them up. To do so
| would bring any amount of trouble. As
| for questioning any III n-and-out running
they might do, that is not even thought Of
| In the Old days when Mr.. Thompkjns
! trained Taragan and some others for w
j. Arkell, the bewidering form of the
| stables representatives was the talk OF
the hour. Mr.. Arken was as much in
the dark as was the general public and
| the connection was soon severed.
| The showings made by the pink jacket
to-day are a bewildering as ever.
How many horses the Jones family con-
troll it is impossible to say. They are
scattered about in different stables, and it
frequently happens that two or three of
them meet in the same race. What may
be expected under these conditions goes
without saying. 1t makes q farce OF
racing and ii is not surprising to see the
place losing caste every day.
A certain crowd continues to visit the
place, but it patronizes the game with
about the same feeling one does nickel-in
the-slot machine, knowing that In the end
the player is bound to lose.
Another of the loose methods of the
management that is causing lot Of
talk il the gathering in the judges inclosure
pOIQ DeIOTe anu Outing Tue running OF
a race.
Many OF the chosen" are heavy bettors
and if gives the opportunity for a lot of
unfayorable comment. What they bet
on may not affect either the start or the
finish, but there are many that claim it
does, for both starter and judges are
familiar with the wagers. This should
not be allowed.
SOME SPECIFIC RASCALITY.
Yesterdays races furnished the usual
number of cases of in-and-out running.
Last Friday Halfbreed won a race at
mile and a sixteenth; after being in the front
rank throughout yesterday, he was beaten
off in mile race, after trailing the entire
distance.
OF course no questions We're asked.
| In the fifth race Beilagio was badly inter-
fered with, his rider being compelled to
pun him up to prevent his gong over the
fence. He attempted to claim foul, but
was turned away without hearing as the
coed thing had won.
In the closing event Ham gave an ex-
hibition OF chow not to ride" that on
any other track in the country would have
brought n rCling-off witout q moments
delay, but Judge Oyster and his associates
Were entirely satisfied.
This boy seems to be the especial pet
OF the management and he takes the
most desperate chances, knowing that he
is safe from punishment. The fact that
brute has no bearing on the case. He rode