The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-07
RACING SYSTEMS IN 1897.
a sEzsoN OF HARo PRoBLEMS ron
."" THE PLAYER
Tke HsstrnaEer's Eavorite Ciosed witt Wis.
ninss or o.. oos ana the Duplicate Favor'ts

H' THE PLAYER
me uSstrnaEer,s Eavorite closed witt Win-
ninss or o.. oos ana the Duplicate Favor'ts
. with o.. q = Jockeys and Mounts.
The curtain 10 down on tho racing season OF
1897 as far as the largo tracks OF the Eastern
States arc concerned. and the thorouRhbreds
are seeking winter quarters. As far rs the sys.
tam playing punter 10 concerned. this has been
q season of problems and hard nuts to crack. A
Number Of systems which in other years have
been all that could be desired in the hands OF
careful players have been found lamentably
wanting, n little matter which was foreshad-
owed In those articles in May last. whom 1t was
said. "These figures show that In the present
season tho system player must mako arrange
monts for an even greater amount OF capital
than ever before. Tho capital should DO at least
doubled, and the initial bet must be adhered to
without increasing 1t during the entire season.
How correct this forecast was will be seen by
tho following digest OF the year:
. The Morris Park spring meeting opened the
puzzle with q record, at the corresponding meet
ing Of 1896, of so per cent. the lowest hguro
for tho entire meeting, which, 1t Is remembered.
opened ut s3 per cent. No one expected this
record to be lived up to. but tho query was:
How far would it drop and by what stcpsi The
meeting Of 1897 opened with not n single favor.
ite to win on the first day. Six favorites-Chic,
81; Ameer, lis; Morris Stable, 9-5: Hast
.ings, s-5; Lady Marian, Ii. and Tom Crom-
we'll, s-5-all went down. Then, from % per
cont. the meeting slowly progressed 81, SO,
"A, AS, 40. AZ, AZ, and Az per cent,
and 30 closed. After the first break there
was fairly even running, the only breaks
being on May 10, when Juda, al;
'Lithos. 2-1, and Sasacity, IL. went down;
on May %, when Br%andywinc. 70. Duke of
Ah,orn o. md npIaplo On lnat tho
others losing in twos and ones; one dead heat.
volley.si Walter. on May 90; only two days
when fewer than three, favorites finished In
front, these being May 8 and 49,; 20 per cent. Of
hrst and second favorites to win. and average
odds 12-11; three unplayable favorites-on
May IS. Chic. $50; on May 20, Requital. 90.
and on May 81. Frohman. 90. last year this
meeting showed eight. Then came Gravesend,
OF which 1t was said: Fifty per cent. with a
very variable percentage is about the normal
figure of this popular track. but no liberties
must be takon by those System players who
wish to win money" The meeting opened with
,BBtpcr cent. and ran along at so, so. 45. 10. 40.
40. 40. 40. AZ. IL, 80 per cent, closing at
that figure, yct there were only two days whom
loss than two favorites won. and no day when
all lost; the secret of the low percentage being
Ave days with only two to win, and one dead
hsat. That came as q close to the six favorttes
which went down In succession on June 5-6,
starting with tho much-touted Vigonta lover
whose chances a prominent bookmaker won't
fairly "dopey" before the race, and which I'm
ished fifth; Mistral. 1875; Beldemere, 81:
Miss Rowcna. 81; On Deck. 9-5; Gen. Maceo,
IL; the Wolhurst-St. Bartholomew dead heat,
to win ont with Hamburg. s-5. Another six
losers came on June 1910. starting with For
got, 6-5; Isabey, Sc; Brandywine, 14-5;
Morris Stable. 9-b; Buddha, 9-5; Falerian,
6-5; winning out with Ben Elder, 3-5. Four
.favorites lost on juno 3.5. four moro failed on
June 3-l2. four moro on June Ii. while three lost
10 succession on June 2, 10. and II. Only two
prohibitiy c-priced tavoritcs show in tho record;
on juno q, Irish Reel. 2-5. and on June Is,
0fthe sheepshead spring meeting it was said
ing has always been more or less unsetisfao-
Dry to The system ysi player with tTo very bad of
the besinning and close Of tho mset ains. The
below ths average" Inc meeting opened with
d. 40. SO. 80, - per, cent. the of days being
shown on the third. when only two won. and the
two won each day. Look at these figures
closely; Five fayorites lost in succession on June
on July 8 ninth day.. Four went down on Juno
3o7yuly /. four moro on July 9. and four moro
rs. and the rest tst'i in 'f two 81 and SHies Singles . Four
'favorites won three days. on June %. July l
and 10. On four days three favorites won, and
e each s day sa'ff'h e es worst sas rum %e for the 0t tsien aT Ha SS ON
July 5-!mperator, 6-5; Deerslayer, 6-5;. Fire
none Q: whom we one, two. three. to win out
with Olindo. 80. Only one f9vorite appeared at
msn. 10" osd on .s onfy l Ria. ea s1 July against 3: iElSiRSE 'm Dutch
Then came brighton Beach. OF which system
players are always shy. and this year, as results
s GIVEN on july july 49, 5000 III feh Is a v ens sp %atSi mset Tas
and one requiring the greatest care.
in all systems and wait on the reactions" THIS
prediction was correct to the letter., OF course
history of the first half Of the meeting. which
recorded q percentage of 80, 80. ~, SO, AZ, AZ.
pared with the figures Of tho preceding meetings
Of the year. But the climax came in he second
half, Sh en- The percentage y IN age ran an 20, 10, 80; 81; 20.
record OF the turf for years in turning out
twelve consecutive winning tavorites. the per.
f. al PTeSsbiiIsy. The analysis Of such a meet:
to greet the sheepshead fall meeting, the player
being told on Sept. 10 to expect "a high per.
Sisaiiase h di%s'aiff t Be m aFsf ieg By dn Magnificent not rs:
g. a fna 81 p s9' cent s9i 50 in 90 ONLY AZ; ono a. c, 81,
on Aug. 27-2s. did three favorites win in sue
eession, while the losers ran six in succession OH
onSept. "a, and three in succession on Aug. %
three more on Sept. 2. and three moro on Sept,
-. tuero were NJ MS ulcellnR only TOUR NJ un
playable odds-on Aug. 20, Lady Marian, 2-5;
on Aug "a. Harry Reed. 10; Bromley Stable
'1-5. and on Sept. l, Flushing. l-3. AtGraves
end. attention was directed TO the great upset OF
1896, and 1t was said: The same warning
given last year must be, repeated now
Play with great caution; reduce the amount
OF the initial bet IL ahead; remember there Ia
another meeting, and go slow when the percent
age runs up at all" This was on Sept. 10, The
a, 40. AZ, "a, SO. SO. 80, 80. and 3s. The RECORD
FOR the year was broken on Sept. 22-23. wher
Walter, IL; Cavalero. $50; RenmoreQ Queen
So; the Ben Brush walkoyer; Dwycr Stable
s RnSic Rey Ssl" snd RSmli Good Times, IL
aown is s%ccession; Eve lost IN succession OF
Sept. 81 and Sept, so and Oct. .. with losos o
three consecutively on Sept. 1916 and Oct. Q
That was a terrible meeting for straight players
There were only three prohibitive favorites :
on Sept. 10, Hamburg 10; on Sept. %, Orna
At Morris Park fall. the meeting was fore
hhadowed In the warning of Oct. 10: "It shoult
be remembered that the last two or three day
az this meeting are very untrustworthy. ant
tenn about that time one should do So" SEQ III