The Washington times., 1901-12-26
RACE TRACK
FROZEN OUT.
Tammany Men Find Them
selves in the Cold.
ANTICIPATED BY THE JOCKEY CLUB.
Dates Assigned Before New Met
ropolitan Club OF Jamaica Could
Make Application-Ow Had
Counted on Political Success in
Election to Force Favors.

Election to Force Favors.
NEW YORK. Dec. 25.-The fact that the
Metropolitan Jockey Club Of Jamaica re-
ceived no racing dates from the Jockey
Club in the allotment has caused no end
OF talk among horsemen. The prevailing
| opinion among politicians was that the
new track had been practically shut out
because of the ahiliation with certain
Tammany men who ran things pretty
much their own way on the big tracks last
season and who were supposed to be in
terested in the local system OF pool
rooms.
Counted on Influence.
These Tammany men, it was said. went
into the Jamaica track scheme. feeling
confident that the Tammany ticket would
be chosen at the recent elections and
that their demand for racing dates could
not be ignored, in view of certain influ-
eI'ces they expected to exercise under the
circumstances.
Though not one Of the men identified
with the track would make an open dec
laration as to the method of procedure
TO be followed as result OF the failure
to secure recognition, il was said last
night that they would do all in their
power to create trouble unless the Jockey
Club decided to admit them after all.
No License Asked.
Under the law which governs racing the
several racing associations operating in
this State must receive licenses from the
State Racing Commission, composed OF
August Belmont. John Sandford, and E. D.
Morgan. The dates allotted by the Jockey
Club are conditional thai each racing as
soclation shall receive license.
The State Racing Commission and the
Jockey Club act in concert. so far the
Metropolitan Jockey Club has not applied
for a license from the State Racing Com
mission or dates from the Jockey Club In
other words, the new track has not been /
refused. Last season the Jockey Club an
nounced the dates early in March. so that
when the news was made public yester-
day that dates had been officially as
signed for the season to come the Metro
politan Jockey Club men were prone to
say that they had been purposely frozen
out. lar
Sullivnn's Statement.
State Senator T. d. Sullivan. who is a
stoekholder in the new track and supposed
to be a leading spirit. said that no appli-
cation for dates had been made for the
reason that the track has not yet been
completed.
But it will be ready for business early
in the spring said he. and it will com
pare favorably with any race track in the |
country When the track is ready a |
formal application viii be made to the !
Jockey Club for dates. and we expect to |
have some room made for us. The Wash |
ington track is not in this State, and we /
do not see why that should be particularly |
favored b. the Jockey Club
State Senator W. II. Reynolds. George !
Dobson, and Eddie Burke. the bookmaker,
also stockholders in the new track. held |
meeting in Brooklyn yesterday and dis |
cussed the situation. Dobson said that !
no application had been made Tor dates
but that he had had an informal talk with |
August Belmont, president of the Jockey |
Club.
Reynolds said that while the track had !
not been completed, he would put up a |
bond OF SleO 600 that it would be ready in J
time for a spring meeting. He said fur
ther that a statement would be given to I
the public in a few days that would be In
teresting reading Burke made the re- |
mark that as there were seven months Of |
legal racing in this State. he did not see |
why the new track should not have !
share OF the sport.
4 man close to the Jockey Club said |
that as the track does not exist except on |
paper, and as no official demand for a
license or dates had been made. the
Jockey Club naturally went ahead with |
its regular business, without considering /
the new venture at all. 4 few days ago /
the Metropolitan Jockey Club was ineor-
porated at Albany.
Those Interested with the number of /
shares, are as follows: Adrian II. Jack
sou. New York City. 500 shares; Nicholas /
]. Hursey. Albany, 25O shares; George f. /
Dobson. Brooklyn. 500 shares: James p. .
Muir New York. $50 shares: Timothy ID. |
Sullivan New York City. 500 shares. The /
capital stock is 100000. The track is To-
Gated on the outskirts of Jamaica, not far
from Aqueduct.
Work Not Far Advanced.
Work was begun only a couple of |
months ago and little progress has sbeen
made. When an application for dates is
sent to the Jockey Club the idea will be
to have the other local racing associa-
tions surrender enough dates to allow the
Jamaica track at least twenty days, cut
up into spring and fall meetings. But If
an attempt of this kind is made there is
sure to be n protest from the tracks that |
have been operating successfully under
the law in the past.
Men who have studied the situation
carefully say that the Jockey Club has
nothing to fear; that the men behind the
new track cannot exert the old influence
at Albany. and that the new city admin
istration will see to it that local racing
associations are not annoyed.