New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-08
FIXED CONTESTS FOR PAGERS.
THE JOE pArcHEN-JOHN r. GENTRY HIP
POpROME AT PHILADELPHIA

PRESIDENT cLEvELAND's CARRIAGE
HORSE FULL BROTHER
TO AZOTE, 2:05l1
r.o ..r,o.ch race" between John r. Gentry and
Joe Patohen at Belmont Park last week was PROP
abiv the most disgraceful Of the many liked con-
tes,s which have brought harness racing INTO us
repue among the better classes IN rhiiaue,p"a
during the last few years. According 10 'he ioc"'
newspapers Jack Curry, the driver ol JUG
patchen. admitted with the most refreshing COM
nosure that he had not tried to win with the Dig
black horse his plea being that as Joe fatche"
would have TO meet Robert J. at Louisville this
week he wished give the stallion an easy race d
Belmont Park. Curry SAID the h'ahase's "
meeting had expressly consented that ne anu Nc
Henry should merely give an exhpitoh Vi speeu
with Patchen and Gentry. and he appeared 10 De
aur,fou,dad when informed by the judges that he
must 60 on and give the spectators an honest race
Curry paid the $500 fine imposed upon MN ioi MS
crooked work under protest, and II If saiu una Al"
will appeal to the Board of Review OF the ->a''o''
Trotting Association . . $3.50,
For the good OF the trotng turf 1t Is to be hopeu
that the affair will in some way or other ma us
wav into the turf courts and that the Board OF ne
view will for once muster up backbone enough ~
deal with the parties implicated IN the way ""'
shall be In keeping with the Importance OF inc '"'e
If Curry pulled Joe Patchen In the deliberate oSie
faced manner that he is said TO nave puHeu N''i
the judges should nave promptly eAPe"NN "'
every trotting track in America. Fraud Is the high
crime which strikes at the life Of horse-raclhg' anu
when a man is caught red-handed as Curry seems
to have BEEN expulsion IL the only punishment mat
is either proper adequate. For the authorities 10
nflict a money penalty, however large Is altogether
too much like proc.aiming to the fraternity oi
crooks THE price of pulling horse at TINS track
is 500" And the worst phase OF the practce Is
as every wel-nformed horseman knows that hnes
ara penerally assessed merely to appeaSe the IN
suited and swndled spectators. and to clear the
skirts Of the track managers In the PUBIC eye.
Frequently these fines are never paid. ana when
they are paid the offender is usually able to get
his money back along in the winter after the excite
ment has subsidized. Within the last few years this
compromising plan of dealing with the Crooks or
the turf has come TO be about the only one fol-
lowed on several well-known trotting tracks In
baltimore Philadelphia Boston and other Eastern
cities and 1t is a significant fact that where the
practice Is most common public patronage OF the
sport is poorest.
II Curry can prove his Claim that the managers
of the Belmont Park meeting understood before
hand that the hippodrome TO be a mere exhiDi-
ton devoid of genuine contest. then II is the pain
duty Of the Board of Review to rule them on as
parties to the fraud NJ. f. McHenry. the driver OF
John r. Gentry, who deliberately tried to get his
horse distanced after a driver had been put up
behind Joe Patchen and 1t became plain that the
black horse would be forced to 20 on, ought to
consider himself lucky that he escaped without
being set down for the rest OF his life Such an
open and audacous piece of pulling would hardly
have been permitted to pass unpublished at the old
Gloucester racetrack in It's worst days
There is one consoling reflection about the Phila-
dephia affair for those who have the best interests
of the sport at heart The chances are that II Will
prove costly piece of business in the end for every
body concerned The of Joe Patchen and
John r. Gentry had made number of engagements
for match races throughout the West, to be
paced within the next few weeks. but 1t having
been shown pretty clearly that the Philadelphia
race was fixed. and that both drivers were ready
TO pull their horses, the crack stations VIII, OF
course. to be drawing attraction. and the
chances are that their hppodrome engagements will
be cancelled as a result of the Philadelphia fasco
1t has been reported recently that John r. Gentry
would be retired to the stud and 1t is probable
that the fixed contest" at Belmont Park was in
tended bolster the prestige that he lost at Chi
cago few weeks ago when Joe Patchen beat him
easily and decsively in a at Washington Park.
The effect Of the Philadelphia affair is however, 10
emphasize strongly than ever the superiority
Of Joe Pachen and to cast doubt upon the Freeport
in which Gentry defeated the back horse about
two months ago 1t rumored at the time that
Joe Patchens shoes had been tempered with in
such a way to prevent him from winning
Another result of the Philadelphia affair has
been to strengthen the talk that was already cur
rent about Joe Patchen's unsatisfactory perform
at Fleetwood in the 5000 free-for-all a great
many good horsemen believed at the time that
Joe Patchen not being driven TO win. and now
that Curry has proved that he Is not above 'yank-
ing" the black stallion off his stride. there is
reason than ever to suspect that he was cheating
with the odds-on favorie in the Fleetwood race.
In all Of his races last year. and in his Two hard;
Buffalo early in August. Joe Patchen was one of
the most reliable, levei-headed PAGERS ever seen
upon the turf Indeed his owner claimed at the
close OF the campaign or lss4 that ne had never
With this record in view, it was simply unac-
countable that the horse should have made break
paced at Fleetwood; thus giving the race to Rob
the undisputed champion OF pacerdom he will
have 10 meet the Kansas horse again. and beat
him with somebody besides Jack Curry in the
Azoe's losing attempt to beat the trotting record
Prise to New-York horsemen The gigantic trot-
ter OF the Salisbury stable had too much fast work
for successful tilt against the watch. and while
nearly all horsemen are Of the opinion that he
peGed him to ID, do he trick at Gaesbgrg after
four fast miles at Feet%oo oTS ''0'eS upon his
81, II vii be news to many racegoers who saw the
meeting to learn that President Cleveland drove a
full brother to Azote on his carriage in Washington
Mr. Cleveland took his seat in 1895 requested his
friend. Nathan Straus. Of this city. to select a
for the White Hoass Stable M sraas says s
then had in his collection Of trotters the big bay
the President have this horse together with a
mate for him. Mr.. Cleveland used Pinzote for a
time after Azote came out and took a fast record
Mr.. Straus bantered the President to trade horses
with him. the outcome being that the big son of
Whips came back to New York, where he now Is
in the stable OF Mr.. Straus Pinzote is a good
roadhorse Mr. Straus says. but he has never been
trained for speed In Cobwebs. PIP, Mr. Straus
has a half-broher to Azote. both horses being by
the same sire. Whips. the son or Electioneer.
TIE FUND FOR THE CRIPPLED NEwsBOT
William Winter makcs the follouinp 70
port upon the fund In aid OF a crippled newsboy
in whose behalf she has appealed through The