The Washington times., 1895-04-07
Outlaw Track Trying TO Deceive
the Turf Congress.
PRETENDING TO BE STRAIGHT
Management Gave Orders That Horses Must
Run for Day or So on Their Merits
Bookies Accordingly Laid Against Sup
posed dGood Things''--only One Favorite
in six Reached the Finish First.

The public handed over more than their
regular tribute to the Old Dominion Jockey
Club yesterday, as only one favorite in six
succeeded in eaching the finish first.
The policy of the place has been that of
the regular catch-penny CANDLES. That
is, to new and then let good thing that
the public have played go through, i'll
order to keep them in good humor.
Yesterday, however, the watchword
was, capture everything in sight, and
right royalty were the orders carried out,
for the books never stopped laying against
supposed good things, and when the day
was over their boxes We're filled to over
flowing
1t goes without saying that the crowd
complained bitterly at the manner the sup
posed best horse had been disposed Of but
in Justice, il must be said, that racing dur
ing the afternoon was cleaner than any that
has been furnished since the meeting
opened.
ORDERED TO RACE STRAIGHT.
There is, OF course, a reason for this,
President Jones and Judge Yandegrift are
to ask the Western Turf Congress for q
license on Tuesday, and it would not do
matter is pending.
The minions of management had been
warned that for day or two they must
instruct all hands 10 be ION the level"
The order was such novel one that for
a time il was believed that some one was
trying to play Joke, but investigation
proved that the order was direct from
headquarters.
When it was realized that 1t was genu-
fhor faar nP ir,fa
views in the ring. The bookies' boxes were
surrounded by their agents, looking for
some way to follow instructions. The
idea that an attempt was to be made to
have the racing carried out honestly was
very hard 20 realize, but the interest az
stake is a heavy one and the command
was made imperative.
This one days attempt to provide honest
sport is not going to help the association
to obtain a license in the least The
gentlemen who will meet in Memphis on
Tuesday TO consider the case are well
aware of the character OF the place, and
there is not one chance in a thousand
that the application will be considered
The chances are it Will be thrown out
without even a hearing.
TIMES" SENT TO THE CONGRESS.
The congress has been furnished with
copies of The Times describing the placs
and the class of sport furnished there
and these statements have more than beer
confirmed from other sources.
A track that caters to q disreputablt
class, that fosters and protects the Yer,
dregs of the turf, that permits the mos
barefaced steals to be carried on without
even questioning the offenders, should
be forced TO close its gates.
The Turf Congress should not rest with G
nf "a a
They should unite with the Jockey Clut
and use every means possible TO close the
place up.
1t is games of this kind that make enc
mics for racing, and if the future of The
turf is to be protected, this track must bC
the first to go.
{ 1t is beyond question the worst of the
many plague spots that have harrassec
the turf in recent years. Other tracks
of similar class have been crowded out
of existence, and their outeasts have gath
cred here in force.
A welI-known Western crook YESTERDAY
was discovered in the ring, and escorted
outside the gate. AS he was being lee
away one OF the crowd was heard to say
''If every thief in this place was put out
side the gate, there would be fifty OH Tho
outside for every one that remained in. )"
Those who patroniZe the place that art
entitled to be styled respectable are few
and far between, and their number is
growing less every day.
The very grounds bespeak the game
that is being carried on. The chute fof
straightaway racing is built i'll way
that makes il impossible to see what is
happening during the early stages of the
journey. A Jockey can do as ne pleases
without any chance of being seen.
On the main track the turns are laid out
in such way that if a boy wants to do
wrong, he can just go a little wide, and
he loses ground sufficient 10 put him out