Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02
HORSE RACING.

with the recent passage of anti-racing
laws In Missouri and Tennessee and the
announcement that there will be no racing
permitted in Illinois during the coming sea-
son, the turf situation In the west is de-
cldedly gloomy, and turfmen who have al
ways connned their operation to the tracks
Ia that section of the country are nightly
discouraged. Many of the stronger tables
l ~ me west have already shipped their
horses east, and others will follow in the
near future But what the great number
Oh poorer turfmen, whose horses would
nave absolutely no chance of picking I'D
even Ialr percentage of stakes or purses
on the Dig tracks of the east will do makes
the situation the most discoura cling tha +
mas ever been known.
Inc biggest surprise of all came when
governor FRAZIER placed his signature to
Inc embracing law that was passed by the
tennessee legislature, and with his sigma
lure that last hope of the racing and breed
ms fraternity in the state vanished There
comes the announcement that the cons IL
tutlonallty or the new law will be bitterly
contested in the courts and that every eff
Tort Will be made to secure a decision in the
matter before December l next when the
new law becomes effective. That is very
slender thread upon which to hang the en-
ormous financial interests that are invested
IN breeding and racing in the old southern
state.
That the officials of the Washington
Jockey Cluo made popular move when
they decided to do away with the grand
stand betting commissioners there is no
longer any doubt. The first week of the
operation of the new rule has demonstra ted
the wisdom of the move beyond any uues-
tlon, and under conditions that now pre-
vail In the Benning grand stand women
patrons of the tracks are not continually
harassed and annoyed by having half a
hundred men climbing over them in the
a1sleS and between the rows of seats max
ing themselves a nuisance generally.
Many of the messengers who did business
on the New York tracks last summer who
did not believe that the Washington Jockey
Club would carry out the Punishment edict
are at the track daily, and several of them
have tried to do business on the quiet dur
ing the first day or two of the meeting
The track police, however. acting under in
structions from President Rowland, quickly
suppressed the attempt, warning the boys
that If they continued to violate the rule
they would be put off the track and kept
off. The majority of the messengers take
the new rule with bad grace and hope that
the New York tracks will not follow the
lead Of the Benning people.
Whether the Metropolitan track owners
Will debar the messengers during the COM
ing season has not been decided. A sug-
gestion has been made that an association
OF messengers be formed on the lines of the
metropolitan Turf Association and that
each member be compelled to give a bond
for the faithful carrying out of his duties
as messenger, and that in the case of a
messenger defaulting the association would
make good the loss to the bettor out of
special fund, which will be set aside for
that purpose. 1t has also been suggested
that the Metropolitan Turf Association take
charge of the messenger service and that
the messengers be men who are employed
by regular members of the Nets
The entry lists in four of the great
steeDlechaSe events that will be run at
Saratoga during the coming summer meet
ing will have their closing tomorrow, and,
as usual, there will be the greatest activity
on the part of the owners of high-class
Jumpers at the last minute to get the
names of their horses into the mails before
midnight. The four events in question are
the Ballston, which has $1,000 in added
money, and is for four-year-olds and up
ward, over the short course, about two
miles; the Beverwyck handicap, for four
year-olds and upward, over the full course,
two miles and a half, which has a guaran-
teed value of So, 500; the Shillelah, which
has $1,000 iu added money and plate, and is
also over the full course, and the North
American steeplechase.
The suspension that was imposed upon
Jockey Tommy Burns at Bennfng a week
ago yesterday by Starter Mark Cassidy
comes to an end today, and tomorrow the
crack little Jockey will be able to resume
his duties in the saddle. That the sentence
was a severe one, too severe to have been
imposed right at the beginning of the sea-
son, is the general opinion that is expressed
among owners and trainers who have be-
come interested in the little Jockeys trou-
bles. Repeated running at the barrier a
the start" was the reason given by Cassidy
when he reported Burns to the stewards for
a weeks suspension.
That there is considerable Ill feeling be-
tween Burns and Cassidy is generally
known among racing men, and the pros
poets are that Tommy will have no easy
row to hoe during the coming season on the
Jockey Club tracks, where Cassidy will do
all of the starting. The trouble between
the two began last summer, when Cassidy
was endeavoring to have the Jockey Club
adopt his "walk-up" system of starting, in
place of the f1at-footed system that had
been used by Mr.. Fitzgerald, with whom
Cassidy was engaged to do the starting.
For some reason or other Cassidy did not
seem to be able to get any control of the
jockeys at the post, and the result was
that his work with the barrier was far
from what was expected Burns. according
to Cassidy, was one of the principal Of
tenders in breaking up starts and as a re-
suit the jockey was on the ground most of
the time that Cassidy was doing the start
ing, receiving one suspension after another
for misbehaving. Burns at the time, was
riding free lance, and the suspensions
counted heavily with him in financial
way, for it took away from him the chance
to make living.
1t is to be hoped that friends of the two
men will'be able to patch up the differences
that exist between them. Burns is too good
a rider 10 be kept on the ground. but on the
other hand. he must learn that obedience
TO the starter must be absolute while the
latter Is acting in his official capacity. The
starters power In the matter of fines and
is seldom interfered with by
the stewards, and Burns Will gain nothing ,
by fighting against the starter. Burns be-
lieves that Cassidy is prejudiced against
him and has been most unjust in keeping
him on the ground, and In this belief Burns
has many supporters. But be that as 1t
may, the popular little jockey is not going
to gain anything by fighting, and the
quicker he makes his peace with him the
better for all hands and the more money |
Tommy will be able to earn.