The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-07
WITH TR0TTER And PAGER.
BienninI Congress or tho N. r. A. VIII Meet
Hero This Week.

As the time draws near for the biennial con.
gress of the National Trotting Association there
seems to DO n growing belief among horscmen
that few. II any, radical changes will be MADDEN
the rules of harness racing when the track man.
ayers meet at the Murray Hill Hotel on next
Wednesday. The Kentucky proposition to
shorten the distance to thirty and fifty yards
has met with the almost unanimous disapproval
Of owners. drivers. and track officials. So strong
Is the opposition to such a change that it would
become virtually a dead letter II made. as there
Is reason to believe that 90 per cent. OF the
tracks in membership with the n. 7. A. would
follow the lead of Charter Oak Park and advcr.
tise all races to DO governed by the old distance
rules, regardless of the action Of the congress.
This was the experience of the A. 7. A. in tho
West when that organization shortened the dis.
TANGO by a change in tho rules a few years ago.
The avowed object OF the Kentucky breeders
in petitioning for the change is to prevent the
practice Of laying up heats. But many expert.
enced turfmen have expressed tho belief that
such q change would make a lottery Of harness
racing by tagging" nearly every horse that
happened to make a break. Others have pointed
out the fact that the short distance might open
the door to fraud by enabling INSCRIPTIONS
drivers to easily get their horses distanced
whom heavily backed by the public and not
meant to win. Under the rules of the n. 7. A.
sNS f"sehN 40 "a INV hSotcs bCbt tDicS
in five. is 100 yards where less than eight
horses start: but in all races whore eight or
moro horses start the distance is increased one
half. making 1t $50 yards. Not a few horse
men who are strongly opposed to the Kentucky
fop seventy. fiys 9a TSte i 10 all eHt ra tns a rsEarSls as" oi
the number of starters. II any action is taken
by the congress this week it will probably be a
compromise on these lines.
Tbs practice OF dropping heats to profit by
the betting thereon is recognized as a more
Artnn nNa a IN In fhn vAIfn - N nf h n rna q ~nrip1
than the business Of laying up for the purpose
Ct gaining an unfair advantage in the race.
has come into vogue, opportunities, for fraud
have been SO multiplied, that nearly all true
TO call a halt, As matters now stand. the driver
o. oco amy horse Sit that Att, is ffancied By the public can
ping those heats. and then go on and
ON %lh the see u iiaGis; the rees 1Iise and Gambia ass aS folio%eF P9G 81
Grand Circuit or elsewhere are free from fraud
prevent the PRACTICE. for the reason that a heat
is Just as effectually dropped by, finishing sec:
the winner. 1t is conceded that the only wayto
prevent the business is to prohibit all betting on
speedily be done but for the fact that the book.
making privilege is one of the chief sources Of
The same Interest threatens to prevent action
against hopPles: Although, the discussion OF
fact that nearly all leading breeders. owners
and drivers. as well as other patrons OF harness
racing, arc In favor of nbolishing the straps, it
Is plain that many Of the track managers who
make mp the congress are going to oppose any
measure which may tend to cut down the num-
Der OF entries In races. With this formidable
opposition IT. Is not generally expected TINT any
legislation In line with the Kentucky resolu.
tions can, be enacted. Tho Hartford proposition
to limit the use Of hoppIes to the next campaign.
barring them after that, probably has n better
chance OF becoming turf law: or there may be a
Sompromise combining hoppled horses to rnccs
by, themselves. All horsemen agree that amy
rule, which the congress may adopt will bca
dead letter from the outset unless it Is mado
mandatory. like tho present rules relating to Tho
suppression of time. &c.
me noted reinsman. John Splan. who T. a
congress. has expressed his views respecting
hopples and heat betting. Splan sa ys he believes
that hopples should have been harrod nj tho
start. Just as = man with a bayonet fastened on
IN o race; Now that they have come into use,
however,, he is in favor OF tolorating them for
one year In order to avoid any possible injustice
10 owners who have recently bought horses that
speaking. of heat betting and the jobbcry result
Ing therefrom, Splan says:
believe the cutlery against dropping heats
ana loooery generally Is louder than the iac,s
70 do wrong let us do away with the tcmpta:
ton; II everything was fixed so that there was
no chance to, steal there would be no need OF
putting men IN jail for robbery"
george I'll. ketcham, the millionaire hOrsrInAn
q Toledo. who drove Cresceus to his record OF
2:llh4 last year. 10 one OF those who believe that
heat betting should be done away with. lie
II believe the trotting association that allows
q book TO DO made on heats not only receives
money for what may DO fraud committed on rs
grounds. but rather invites that fraud By OPEN
ing the gates to all kinds OF trickcry."