The sun., 1900-08-05
A "KILLING' THAT FAILED.

A "KILLING' THAT FAILED.
GANG THAT ENGINEERED STOOD 70
WIy HALF AfLLiON.
Race Was run IN "Duks" ThoMpssaS Days.
word Sent BY the Ring - Jeckey 81
the Post to Pocket the GOOD Thing" and
Twas Done-How killings Are Arranged
No pleasanter experience can be recalled
by many turfmen than that which includes
participation In q large. rich. fat "ktllns.
Speaking after the manner os lexicographers'
a killing" Is that arrangement on raceTack
by which horss which nobody knows enough
TO bet on but yourself wins the race and all
the bets you have been able TO get down ON
him. This definition may suggest that Kill
ing" is not particularly common on the turf.
Small killings" are not common and one OF
the real things IL 90 rare a. to be counted among
the memorable happenings Of the turf.
Tho essential factors of a real big Killing
are an unknown. or supposedly well-nigh worth
less. horse and Q man who has the science OF
betting at bis fingers ends. A for the horse.
It does not matter 20 much whsther he b un-
known or vhsthsr the general public supposes
one is practically as good as the other for the
game that 10 TO be played. In either event.
however. the animal must 60 through weeks
Of preparation for the particular race in which
the slaughter Is to bs made. It is more DIM
cult to pull of tho game with an unknown horse
than 1t is with a horse which is supposed TO be
OF little account, because something of his con-
dition and something Of his capabilities may
h>en ~. nd hAp alI ha
planning and all tho work goes for nauRht
With the supposed no-account attention Is not
80 likely to be attracted to what he does In
training.
In the case Of an unknown. or practically
unknown animal the plan usually followed Is
10 pick out a certain race to be run several
weeks In the future and then give the animal
special preparation for that race. For the
purposes Of a killing" It matters little what
the value Of the race may be to the winner. In
fact, the more unimportant the race the better
for those engaged In the enterprise The race
having been picked out, the work Of prepara-
ton begins, and from that moment all informa-
ton regarding the horse Is kept guarded az jeal-
ously from the public as general guards his
plans of battle from the enemy The trainer
selects an hour OF the day or night for working
his horse when the fewest persons are likely TO
be at the track Each trial Is as carefully
watched by those Interested as IL the fate OF the
nation depended upon victory or defeat in the
race, Not only is the horse watched but every
body connected with the stable Is watched. and
there have been times when IL was aS much as
q aman's life was worth to give the slightest hint
to anybody not connected with the stable as TO
how a certain horse was working II II can be
so arranged, those interested in the afYar pre-
fer that the race In which they expect 10 make
fortune shall be run In one part OF the country.
while the horses preparation Il made in another.
Such an Arrangement makes IL less possible for
information about the animal 10 leak out at the
track where the race is 10 be run.
II the hopes Of winning fortune are 70 be
staked on horse that Is not generally supposed
10 have much speed and. in fact, il pretty well
known TO he a third or fourth rater. ths work Of
TrGDSSx ess .s but .Ss seffeGy %
skate" which is to do the trick. a race where
the entries are made the night before is usually
Sr sH. @ % Sss
his competitors shall be Of no very high order.
The plan Is in fact, to land the horse in what Is
familiarly known as a soft SPOT That is, to
enter him in race In which he will have no COM
petifors of any great speed
The race having been selected. the horse ia rut
through his usual daily work and this continues
tnrfmen call dope" This Is simply a meti-
cine which acts as powerful tonic. the effect OF
tonic Is administered for the purpose Of tenn, m,
porartly inyirorqtinC the horse 10 such an
extent that he viii run as he never ran before
many pounds than any other animal in II. -
The race having been picked ont and the
horse prepared. the men who expect to make
tcrtTps me- on % the result Gf ihe race begin 70
pool rooms all over the country TO bet the money
Of those Interested in the horse Being an un-
known or a supposedly no-accoun, the book
against the chances Of Mis- particular animal
winning the race. As. soon a. the odd. are
chalked up the commissioners begin 70 make
sf'ful as be'tors or the whole game will he
spoiled They must work with lightning rapid
ity in getting their bots down. they must he Grck
to any advantage which one bookmakar
gives over another In odds and. at the same
time, they must move about among the book
makers stands 80 easily and with so little ap-
parent haste or overweanng desire TO bet on
the particular animal in question Us not 10 make
the bookmakers suspicious that something ont
Of the ordinary is going TO happen and, there
fore. reduce the odds they have marked M.
That which the commissioner. do IN The pool
rooms OF the country will be done at the track
on the day OF the race. the whole idea being 10
a. possible. When the flag has fallen and the
shout. They're on, goes IN AZ the track the
commissioners In the poOlrooms wait for the
result to come to them over the TELEGRAPH while
those at the trsck 80 m into the grand stand
20 watch the other horses smothered and the
killing" made
Like ali UNDERTAKINGS In which the element
Of chance figures II is not every "killng" that Ia
planned which wins the money. In fact, II is
easier for the old hrfmer 20 recall the successful
killings" than those which have failed. simnly
because they are fewer A hint from the sia-
bic an over-anyiOus betting commissioner the
slightest accident Of anv kind. may overtrn
the work OF weeks and lose fortune for the
men who have planned tho nrair. In d9ys that
gone, when the suppryisiOp of racing una
not so ArgrIs-eyed as It Is to-day, esrecisly in
the East. the game was PLAYED much oftanor
than IL Il to-day. Now snch schemes ara
planned to be carried out principally on Vest
ern and Southern raca tracks. " was 10 fnd
ard the present that . SrN reporter sought out
T." other dav man who is living quietly on
the upper West Side ~ New York practically
retired from the turf. and. surrounded nv a
devoted family living unOn the income ~ o-e
Of the most famous killings" made uron the
man visits a racetrack, put now and then when
classic event Is to he run. he goes down to
watch the sport. -
And so you want me 10 tell Won the Story
q how made the little rile that ! have care
man, "a he took the reporter into his library.
Well my boy. that is something that don't
care to talk about and for this reason: The
turf to-day isn't what II was when the 'bookes
got my money and got theirs, There Is moro
and its GOOD thing. Folks always have
and always Will bet on horse taoes when they
can't afford TO. In fact more who can't AFFORD
To bet do so than those who can. For this
reason II Ia proper that those who manage
race meetinai should make them a. straight
that last killing Of mine u might tempt others
10 trv the same game. and it's from that want