The morning times., 1895-12-16
RING and TRACK GOSSIP
Cute Tricks PractiCed by the
Foreign Book.
SHAVE THE TRACK PRICES
Quote Five 10 Two Shot ut Seven to
Five When They Learn "a Com mis-
sion is In the Ring-LOcal Book
makers Havea Hard w week-Asburn
and McDermott Divide the HonorS

-
One OF the worst ab1ses, of almost daily
occarrance, at the Alexander Island track.
is practiced in the foreign book. This is
hard enough game at any time, but
when the public are given the worst OF
II by the betting being held back and tile
odds being shaved, il ceases 10 be a gambling
venture and becomes simply a gigantic
steal.
case OF this kind occurred in the fourth
race at New Orleans on Saturday which
raised howl OF protest from the local
talent that would have appealed TO anyone
bat the graspilg people who control the
| outlaw merry -go-round on the Island.
Inc betting on the race in question came
in on Maurice, one OF the starters. at TWO
and a half TO one. The mana cement had
heard, however, that large commission
was in the ring to De placed on that horse
five.
Previous to this, however, they had
held back the betting until a few minutes
before the horses went TO the post. when
they We're compelled to put up a second
betting. They were afraid OF the conf
mission that they knew was waiting to go
on. however. and still kept up the same
price. seven TO five. Finally when only
"A few minutes were left before the race
was started and the COMMISSIONS had
not been put down. they laid two to one.
1t iS Just such cases as this that have
killed the foreign book all over the country.
II is not only recognized as Il pest 10 the
game, bat gives field TO the dishonest
gamblers who are usually behind such "A
venture. that soon leads them to such
eXtravaCant steals that they usually over
step themselves and the books are cventu-
ally killed by the law taking hand i'll the
game.
During the past week the booknlakers
who have been doing business a { the across
the-river tracks have been regular marks
for the talent. The latter have been in the
best form that has been their lot since
last spring and as the horses are running
somewhat more consistently, they have
put favorite after fayorite over the plate
with astonishing regularity.
Saturdays six straight faYorites was
n fit ending of 4 disastrous week for the
pencilers They had been in such hard
luck for the previous five days that they
were prepared for the worst. out OF
thirty-siN races which were run in the
six days, ng less than twenty-one favor
ties won. Nine well-played second choices,
three third choices. and three outsiders
took the balance OF the events.
ADother such week as that ami the num-
Der OF pencilers who will have sufficient
cash left In their tin boxes to pay the
Necessary Sl0o To Ego on, and then make
anything bst a 'rOund book" Will be rev
and far between.
From canvass of the pcncilers last
night 1t Is hardly pr0hab Bile that there will
be more than an even half dozen of them
in line this afternoon. Several of them
WHO nave wtlSllttl III every hdl
the past week are in a financial condition
which does not warrant making book.
while others say they viii lay off FOR
day or 50 and see If they can get good
Little AsburD. who rides for the Wier-
Worley-SchuitZc combination, and Patsey
McDermott, who rides for himself, divided
the hOnors so far as winning mounts were
concerned, by each landing five winners
during the week. Washburn was close
after them, with four TO his credit.
Aakz. h.N ltl "a tn
star light weight OF the outlaws. Since
Ellis was hurt, he has been plotting the
Dixie stables entries ana, ana has pa done S;ns 80
but a midget of boy, he has, on several
occasions, put up fms hes that would
have done credit TO some OF the best boys
at the track.
siuce Washburn has been back from the
Board of Control tracks he has been in
very good form. II was hard JOB for
him 20 ger dowd d TO rdinc ffcptY Ms' rettine ali
the mounts that he wanted and has been
very successful. His training under the
world Of good aud incidentally served to
give the public confidence in his ability,
which is half of the battle.
The rail birds al New Orleans from latest
accounts are getting all OF the money.
Their method of procedure Is TO line up.
watch the market closely aud tnen get
down in a body on the first horse that re-
ceives any play that is sufficiently strong
90 influence his price.
Those are the kind that appear to almost
ALWAYS win Whether all of the races are
iobbed or whether 1t is simply coincidence
would be hard to say. 1t is fact, how
ever, that while the favorites to cash have
been woefully in the minority. tue talent
have nevertheless gotten all of the coin.
Possibly this strange condition OF al
fairs can be accounted for by the fact that
in nearly all Of the races II this is So the
haudicappers are too fly for them and
will not fall into the trap
The mixture of Eastern and Western
horses that always come together at New
Orlea rs is one of the most confusing features
Of the sport. 1t Is almost Impossible to
month of racing things are In a generally
mixed up state.
patsey McDermott has few mounts at the
island but when he does ride lhlsinone y and
that of his subscribers Is down. Patsey is
raDitlly getting back into that condition or
opulence which gave him the maine OF the
s'coupon-cutting jockey.
The table of winning jockeys on the flat
in England during the last season shows
Norung gton Cannon in the lead, with total
OF "a wins out of112mOunts. Tom Loates
was second. with I66 wins out of 764
mounts, and F. Alsopp third, with liz wins
out of IL 5 mounts.
Harvey Covey, one of the veteran Jockeys
on the English turf, made his reappearance
in the saddle after an absence OF forty years
at the recent meeting at EPSON. Covey,
who was sixty-four years old on his last
birthday, weighed out for Cornburry in the
Great Metropolitan Stakes and won the race
with the greatest ease.
The winnings Of NJ. F. Dwyer In England
last season were S1,910, and Richard
Croker won 81 1925. The largest winners of
the year wero Leopold de RothsehIld, $1O4.-
O25; H. McCalmont. $76.O55; Lord Rose.
bery, S56, 1856; Duke of Westminster, $62;-
600: Prince of Wales, SAC, ,905; Col. North,
S3S, $50; Foxhall P Keene won $3,OT5.
Richard Croker and Pierre Loriilard have
entered horses for the Champagne Stakes
at Doncaster next year.
The fast Western PAGER Seal, by Notary,
while being logged at Boone Iowa, re-