Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-14
BOOKMAKERS MUST
SELL EQU|NES
Instances Becoming Frequent Where
Horse Owner.Booknaker Com
bine Works Havoc with
Public Money

That the bookmaker-ho owner evil
will be eradcated shortly seems as
sured, as gradually the various jockey
clubs are witnessing a public fight
against such conditions, which must
eventually harm them to =. great de-
gree.
local instance of the bookmaker
deciding to part with his race horses
occurred when the Atkins stable went
on the market. It is intimated that
Atkins was asked to dispose of his
property after severe criticism had
been INDUCED in.
Two weeks ago the "horse owner
bookmaker' evil came into the lime
light through an incident at City park,
New Orleans The crack filly Minnie
Adams is owned and campaigned by
Fred Cook, one of the biggest book
makers now on the ground.
Previous to Tuesday, January Is, she
had run several bad races, each time
the Cook book taking in gobs of money
along with other layers In the line
against the filly winning. She ran dog
races and on several successive occa-
sions the Cook book a I the layers
generally prof1ted exceedingly at the
expense of the b.tters.
Then on the above date Minnie Ad-
ans went to the post in handicap at
a mile. we'll supported by inside sources
She was great horse here, for she
broke out in front under Jockey Dave
Nicol and just romped in front all the
way, incidentally establishing new
track record for the distance at 1:2S AS.
There was no early warrant for this
sudden coming to life of Minnie Ad-
ans, and of course the talk of the own
er having booked to the race became
general. The public lost bundles OF
money.
After the finish many of the disgrun-
tied ones gathered about Cooks book
ing stand, where they piled the book
maker-owner" with many significant
queries.
How'd you do it, Tred?" How many
pills Gid she get today?" ETC., came
from the angered crowd III the man
ner Of so many interrogatory bombs.
The Minnie Adams race became the
talk of the town, and although owner
Cook was as much at a loss to explain
the vagary of his fllly as anybody
else, still the prejudiced Gambler could
not forget that he had booked on the
race with all the rare money getting
possibilities such thing afforded.
The enforcement of the horse owner
and the bookmaker will be far reach
lHR, IOT dliilOSI dI every IlleellHB
middle west and the outlying circuits
the chief bookmakers and money fac
tors in the ring own the horses which
race.
In the east Lucien Appleby, the book
maker, races string of horses, as does
Davy Johnson, who frequently flops
from being a player on the ground to
a bookmaker on the high stool. Early
last year Johnson offered the public a
price against Roseben winning in his
book
Sentiment against the "bookmaking
horse owner" began to gather Ltrength
In the east last year. and may come to
a head before long, in which event a
score or more of stables would be dis
banded. For Instance, L. A. Celia in
tends to race next summer about New
York a string Of twenty first-class
horses.
George Bennett of Memphis, Tenn,
would be another wner-bookmaker"
affected by the change. He frequently
laid prices against his Dishabille In the
east in 1906. Altogether the abolition of
the "bookmaker-owner" is one of the
turf reforms sure to come about soon.