Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-16
WITH THE HORSES.
The Decline of Light Harness
Racing in This State.
Attempt Now Being Made to Secure
More Favorable LegisIation-The OPP
position Against Hoppes- Other
Horse News.

More Favorable Legislation-The OPP
position Against HoppIes- Other
Horse News.
During the winter months, horsemen
discuss their plans for the campaigning
season of the summer They speculate
upon the ability of the last seasons
winners to hold their own during the
next year; discuss new prospects that
are likely to flash across the horizon,
and in many cases to disappear as quick
ly as they came; and think about the
chances of reductions in the world rec
ords. But to the Worcester and Mas
sachusetts horsemen who gather about
the stove to talk horse, there is some
thing more important. and it affords
them an ample field for discussion. 1t
has to do with the existing laws against
pool-selling in this commonwealth. EV-
cry horseman believes they are too
stringent, and that the decline in har-
ness racing that this state has witnessed
in the past two years, Is due directly 10
the sentiment against pool-sellng. The
racing has been of good quality and
the meets have been conducted HONESTY
enough, but the pool-selling laws have
done the business.
These laws have been upon the stat
utes for many years, and OF course ap-
ply to the entire state. But in many
places, pool-selling, in connection with
trotting meets, was allowed by general
sufferance, up to about three years ago
Then, one by one, the local authorities
in the various places began to enforce
the law, and as soon as the law was
enforced, the meetings were conducted
with loss and were soon given up en-
tirely. At the close of 1897, the places
where there were good tracks and
where local authorities would allow the
selling of pools, could be counted upon
the fingers of one hand. The result has
been that only in those places We're
meetings held and they did not get the
entries they deserved, the faster horses
having been driven to other sections OF
the country where their owners could
at least pay expenses by racing
1t has been demonstrated time and
again, that without pool-selling, horse
racing can never be made profitable.
The expense incurred in maintaining a
good track the year round, and keeping
it with the necessary buildings in good
shape, is immense. Often the money
offered in purses necessary to get the
fast ones to compete, is greater than
the receipts from attendance. Then,
if the association conducting the meet
ing happens to strike, as is often the
case, a week of poor weather, the at
tendance dwindles down and big loss
results. To quit even with the game,
race-track managers find it necessary
to have some other source OF revenue,
and it is from the sale of pool-selling
privileges that this is obtained. One or
two associations, the Breeders Assocla-
ton. for instance, have found 1t posi-
BILE to conduct a meet without any bet
ting, and still pay expenses. This Is
the exception, however, and is possible
only on account Of the wealth and rep
utation of that especial association. No
smaller association can possibly hope TO
be as successful.
To overcome this handicap, the horse
men are now considering the feasibility
of applying to the state legislature DUR
ing the present session for mod11ca-
ton of the present law. The horsemen
believe that they have enough friends
in both branches of the general court
to secure the passage Of their bill, pro-
vided it is not too radical. One bill has
already been drafted by some of the
Boston horsemen, and has been submit
ted to some Worcester men for their
opinion. It asks that pool-selling priv
ileges be allowed upon stipulated
number of tracks in Massachusetts dur
ing "a days of each year, with clause
inserted that no track shall be allowed
more than a weeks racing at time,
unless necessitated on account of post
tI,S.s hi
clause does away with continuous
meets, which has always been the curse
of horse racing. At the same time it
will allow an association to hold six
meetings during the year, but it is not
probable that many would use the limit.
The reception that such a bill will re-
ceive among the Legislators will be
awaited with great interest by local
horsemen. Its success means a revival
of racing in Worcester.
No small boy is praying for snow
more fervently than are the Worcester
horsemen. Though there have been sew
eral storms this winter, only one has
afforded good sleighing, and that lasted
only few days, and did not afford OPP
portunity to settle the much-mooted
question of local supremacy. A few of
the fast ones were moved up to their
speed, but the majority We're not start
ed up for any decisive brushes. AM
other bit of sleighing, however, and all
the fast ones viii be, or rather should
be, fighting each other on the snow
path Up to date, Valence Mr.. r. F.
Taylor's New York purchase has been
the best thing out She defeated Abb
bic ", r. c. Taylor's gray mare, a
number of times. but still that veteran
sport says he is not satisfied, and is far
from ready to admit reinforcement
Among the trotters, John Kervick's
Majorie seems the only animal that can
rightfully dispute either of the Taylor
mares claims. In the opinion of many,
Marjorie ought to be the queen of the
path before the season closes. The pac-
ing brigade furnishes a much broader
field for argument.
In view of the approaching meetings
Of the two great trotting associations,
there are certain measures of reform in
light harness racing that bid fair to be-
come prominent. Two of these have
been advanced by the powerful Ken
lucky Trotting Horse Association, which
has petitioned both the National and
American associations to PASS a rule
prohibiting their members from allow
ing hopples to be used in races, and
also requiring the Instance nag TO be
moved nearer the wire, in order to pre-
vent the laying up of heats Neither Of
these two subjects is new. They have
been discussed by horsemen, pro and
con, for years, and volumes might be
written in favor of or against either or
both measures
The controversy against hopples has
been waged for the longer time. The
adjustment Of the appliances which en-
danger the horses and the men in race
in which they are used, was asked as
soon as the belly harness., the rather
inelegant but annronr.iaIe mama that