The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-26
MUCH MONEY in RACING
MILLIONS INVESTED IN RACE
TRACKS, BUILDINGS AND HORSES.
How Owners at New York Are Reim-
Is Given a Chance to Lose.

| Baltimore Sun.
How much money is invested in the sport
of kings in New York State it would be
| difficult to make even a rough estimate Of
with any assurance of accuracy. When it
| is known that one great race horse recently
sold for $4,000, and few days later a half
interest in colt that even yet is all but
| untried sold for $4,000, something of an idea
| may be had of the worth of the New York
| stables. which collectively contain thou
| sands of thoroughbreds, the best in the
world.
The value of the tracks on which the
! horses run, to the delight of thousands of
enthusiasts. is more easily arrived at. Met
| ropolitan race-goers pay for their amuse-
ment at least 100000 each year. but Of
that great sum st least one-half is pen
atty for liking for speculation.
There is now building on Long island one
of the finest race-track properties in the
world. Belmont Park, named In honor of
the president of the Jockey Club, Mr.. Au-
gust Belmont, is being constructed without
reference to cost. In the near future il will
take the place Of one of the tracks on which
thoroughbreds have raced this year, and
which soon must be cut into building lots.
1t has not yet been seen by the public, but
when 1t becomes actually il will add
| largely to the racing investments made by
New York men of millions, who give of their
time and money to the game more because
of their love of the sport than because of the
| profits, which are never small.
Including the Saratoga plant there are
| now seven race tracks in the metropolitan
| district to divide patronage and interest
| Belmont Park will make the eighth OF
these two will be turned into building lots
| in the near future. How soon Morris Park
| and Gravesend will pass out of existence as
| race tracks only the owners know, but it is
| certain that neither track can long resist
| the pressure of population.
S7500OOO INVESTED.
AS they now exist the tracks in the met
ropolitan district represent an investment
of about 81. 10000. According to one who
is thoroughly conversant with the business
done the least profitable of the plants earns
| rs per cent. on the capital invested. Some
60 far beyond that, and the earnings are
| increasing each year as racing becomes
| more popular Remembering that no track
is open more than thirty days year. IL is
easy to understand the hold the game has
| on public affections.
Year after year the cry is raised: I'VE
have seen the last of Morris Park" 1t is
now promised that racing in Westchester
will continue at least another year, and
| probably three more seasons. But at the
same time there is no denying the fact
that New York is soon TO lose one of its
most beautiful and popular tracks. When
| the late John Morris planned the Westches-
ter track he saw the march of population
northward from the Battery, and he knew
1t would not be long before it would be-
come necessary to cut the property he was
building up into lots for homes. So il hap
pened that while he prepared a race track
that has few equals in the world he also
made preparations for the future, and few
changes will have TO be made, when the
flag falls, for the last time and Morris Park
is offered to home seekers.
AS 1t now stands, Morris Park represents
an investment of about 100000. but the
property is worth much more than that
amount.
Even more popular than Morris Park is
Sheepshead bay, the home of the classic
Suburban, where the Coney Island Jockey
Club gives race meeting twice each year.
That track also represents an Investment
of about 81 ,006 900. though il would require
a much greater sum to tempt the owners
to part with their property. And il is for
tunate for those who love the racing game
that provision has been made to keep the
Sheepshead track in its present form. Not
every one knows that Sheepshead is a pub
lie park, open without price when racing is
not being conducted. This appears to make
ii impossible-at least, in the immediate
future-to force the property into the real
estate market. In the meantime the prop
erty is increasing in its apparent value al
most daily.
Experts estimate the investment st
Brighton at s1.Oo0.0O0. and the track by
the sea has become more popular during
the last four years than IL ever was before.
Saratoga and Gravesend are said to each
represent an investment of $4,000 ia
maica, which held it's first meeting a few
weeks ago, represents an investment of
100000. More money will be spent by the
owners of the track during the next few
years, but in the meantime large profits
will be pouring into the treasury.
Cheap in comparison with the other
tracks near New York, Aoueduct is said to
have cost its owners no more than $780,
600. There the stands are of ordinary build.
and the track is constructed for no other
purpose than to give the horses a sure foot
ing.
DAYS FOR RACING.
Morris Park, Sheepshead Bay and Graves
end have thirty days racing each. Sara
toga. Brighton Beach and Jamaica have
twenty-five racing days each. while Aque-
duct is forced to content itself with twenty
two.
Under the laws OF New York per cent.
of the gross earnings of the race tracks is
paid to the State. That gives a fair line on
the amount of business done. though there
are some VINO DelleNe Indt the state does
not always receive its just share of the
money paid by the public. Last year s1S5.-
O0o was paid into the State treasury by the
treasurers of the various jockey clubs
simple computation shows that the earn
ings OF the six tracks Jamaica did not ex-
ist last YEAR, must have been at least Sc 700
600. This amount of money, though all
contributed indirectly by the public, reaches
the jockey clubs through various channels
There are few days in the year when a
crowd of 5000 pushes its way into any one
of the New York race-track Enclosures But
those days come on rare occasions and
when they do arrive the treasury of the
favored track swells to the bursting point
Seldom are there fewer than 10000 at any
of the tracks when racing Is on. Ii Is a
conservative estimate that places the aver
age daily gate receipts at $1,000. IL is GER
tainly In excess OF that amount. and II Is
easily understood that IL Is so when IL is re-
membered that while women pay only 81 for
the privilege OF watching the thorough