The sun., 1904-11-13
Big GAINS FOR RACETRACKS.
BUT BOOKMAKERS AND THE PUB
LIC LOST ON THE YEAR.
John 4. Drake Among Those Who Dropped
out OF the Game-Winnings OF Wealthy
Turfmen-A Bad Year for some
"Humming Bird" Tyler Wonder.


.Humming Bird Tyler Wonder.
What has become OF all the money wagered
nt the racetracks under the control of
the Jockey Club this year? The question
has been repeatedly asked by turfmen IN
the past two months. Fewlhave been able
to give a satisfactory answer.
According to some Of the best informed
men, the bookmakers, especially the men,
bers of the Metropolitan Turf Association,
have been hard hit yet it is common COM
plant that the public or rather the talent
has also suffered n series OF UNUSUAL re-
verses. II both the bookmakers and the
regular players have lost, 1t is but natural
to ask, Who has the money?
Every one OF the racing associations
operating on the Metropolitan circuit has
coined money. The attendance has been
large, in some cases all previous records
having been broken. The stockholders
In the racetracks are sure of big dividends.
Much Of the profits earned by the big
tracks in which August Belmont, W. X.
Vanderbilt, the Whitney estate and other
millionaire turfmen are interested will
60 toward building the new Belmont Park
racetrack down on Hampstead Plains,
Wnlcn VIII Dt loI IosihB hVSNp opiA'b'
The fact that this magnificent racecourse
will be constructed at an outlay OF several
million dollars may be taken as evidence
Of the great profits to be made out OF the
sport of kings.
The bulk of the valuable stakes and
purses has been won this year by few
wealthy owners. James h. keene, ID. b.
Duryea, in whose name the Whitney horses
have been running all the season; Sydney
Paget, representing James B. Haggin; Z.
r. Thomas and a few others have been the
most successful in this respect, while many
of the smaller owners have experienced
pretty hard sledding.
But of the rich men on the turf there is
one who has met with disaster, which cul-
minated in the sale OF his racing stable
and his temporary withdrawal from the
turf This is John A. Drake, who admits
that the game has been too much for HIM
Mr.. brakes failure to beat the book
makers has heen In the nature OF surprise
to many regulars. His horses particularly
OFT Wells. a $4,000 stake winner, were all
winners mure or less. They were prepared
for their races by Enoch Wishard, one OF
the shre7'dest Of trainers. MIR. Drake was
always on hand to bet on them whenever
they were worthy of his support.
Both Mr.. Drake and his bosom friend,
John W. Gates, possessed the best informa-
ton at the racetrack. But what was the
result of their operations? When word
was passed around toward the end OF the
fall meeting at Sheepshead Bay that Mr..
Drake intended to sell his horses, and that
Mr.. Gates had other business that would
keep him away from the track, 1t was gen.
orally reported that between them they
were losers on the season to the extent
Of 500, 600. II Is declared to be fact that
on one day alone they dropped more than
500 900, placed on three horses, Lady
Amelia, Ort Wells and Councilman. And It
Is understood that they were never able
to reooup.
This incident occurred at time when
there was q general wall from the book
makers to tho effect that they did not care
to handle any more big money, although
at the same time they complained that
tho clubhouse commissioners. by making
book themselves instead of bringing wagers
q, the betting rpg, were keeping much
Asoft velvet away from the layers satchels
II was also a fact that some OF the best
known bookmakers who had won the
Drake-Gatee thousands took measures To
prevent these spectacular plungers from
betting further with them with the idea OF
recovering their losses.
With the Drake-Gates bankroll swallowed
up In a big gulp, the bookmakers still set
up the cry that they swere experiencing a
string OF hard luck that was record
breaker. One after another, the biggest
bookmakers either stopped business en-
L. ta1 90. olnoalxr thaf tho r,,,blir
ut large had little or no chance TO win
anything when the choices came home
In front.
Even George Wheelock, president Of the
Metropolitan Turf Association and one OF
the richest layers on the turf, tired Of the
game and ceased to handle the chalk early
in the summer. Since that time he has
been playing the horses from the ground,
while bis brother has been booking In his
stead. =.
But nobody would believe that George
Wheelock, who goes about in a high priced
automobile, is a loser on the year. Neither
will racegoers take stock In the report
that Sol Lchtenstein is out OF pocket.
Lchtenstein. a crafty penciller, is one ot
those men who cannot lose
He is the King of the Ring in that he
makes the prices on each race and the
other books copy them. There have beer
many times past when he has put up prices
against favortes which had been readily
copied and has refused to accept bets him.
self while his agents have hurried through
the ring gobbling up his prices displayed
in the other books. Lichtenstein has al
ways been a heavy bettor and for this
reason he may have had some crimps put
in his chubby bankroll, but in the long run
st is seldom that he does not wind up Q
campaign on the turf with balance on the
right side of the ledger
1t is safe TO say that Wheelock and Lich-
tcnstein have not felt the general fnan-
cial depression that prevails among a ma
iority Of the layers and players. Joe
feager, The Boy Plunger, Is a heavy losel
on this season. Ring sharps place hit
losses at sl5o,OOo.
ltwas at Saratoga that his partner, Frank
IAuterman, after some big operations
earlier in the season, went to the wall owing
IL is said, Sso,c0). Lauterman has not made