The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-11
AMERICAN TURF CONGRESS
An Interesting Ruling in Re-
gard to Future Meet
ingS.
THE OWNERSHIP OF SIMMONS
An Investigating Committee Re-
ports That the Horse Was Held
by Men Not in Favor.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 10.-The Amer
lean Turf Congress reassembled at moor
to-day at the Peabody Hotel, and after 6
short session took a recess until evening tC
attend the races.
In the matter of the location of future
meetings it was decided that they be held
at the city in which majority of the mem
bers are present at the time meetings are
to be called. That was the reason for the
selection of Memphis as the meeting
place this year, instead of Cincinnati
where all. the previous meetings OF the
congress have been held.
The committee appointed to inquire into
the ownership of the horse Simmons, which
was matched for race with DR.. Rice al
the ST. Louis Fairgrounds racetrack in
the spring, made its report. Its finding
was that an interest in the horse was held
BY men not in favor with the congress-
The case was reopened at the night session
but disposed OF.
The report of the committee on rules
which was laid aside temporarily last
night, was taken up and disposed of, the
congress sitting until nearly l o'clock. A
number of minor changes that were recon-
mended by the committee were passed
upon favorably by the congress.
a committee on jockey licenses was ap.
pointed by Vice-President Montgomery
consisting of E. c. Hopper OF Cincinnati,
J. H. H. Reese OF Memphis and Joseph A.
Murphy of Chicago. The licensing fol
Jockeys was raised from s. to S., and the
rules were amended so as to prohibit the
jockeys owning horses from riding the
horse OF any other owner. The rules as to
selling races was the subject of a pro-
tracted discussion, this being one of the
principal points of disagreement among
the rules committee.
By a close vote the congress decided that
hereafter all selling races are to be claim
ing races. The rule prohibiting any owner
from entering more than one horse in a
selling race was amended so that an owner
may enter two horses in selling race, but
only in a selling-stake race.
In the event Of the two horses entered
by the same owner in a selIing-stake race
finishing first and second one-half the ex-
cess money is to go to the association and
one-half to the third horse. The ruling
providing that unless three horses shall
start in q race the race be declared off was
amended, the requisite number of starters
being changed to four.
The rule disqualifying horses whose
jockeys weigh in after the race with excess
or under weight of more than two pounds
was amended, removing the provision fol
disqualification in the case of overweight
leaving the provision as to underweight as
it now stands.
An effort was made to change the pres.
ent rule providing 1.-THE express conditions
of any race shall supersede all rules" but
it failed, the result standing as heretofore
a new rule was adopted by the congress:
providing scale of weights for steeple
ehases. The scale is based upon the rule:
governing the weights for fat races, the
minimum weight allowed being 125 pounds
and the maximum 175 pounds.