Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-18
CPITIClSE TRACK STEWARDS
Horse Racing at New Orleans is In
Very Bad 0dor.
GAMBLERS HOLD THE REINS
Mackey Captured the Gold Racquet
National Indoor Tennis Play Starts
Today-Base Ball Notes.

NEW ORLEANS, February lo.-Jacn
Martins friends are making determined
effort to have his suspension removed.
They claim that the noted jockey was
victim of bad horse. Orly III. and through
no fault or lack of intent to win was beat
en-. His punishment was due. they declare
to the clamor of a few disgruntled bettors
who lost money the horse and that
there was not the slightest evidence OF
fraud against him.
Martin has many good friends here and
they are sticking by him loyalty. To
hear them talk he is the most abused race
track rider in the world. They claim
that it is prejudice that has brought about
his present punishment. They argued that
IL he were really guilty of pulling Orly III
his suspension is totally inadequate and
that he should have received the sentence
of ruled off the turf for life But they
aver that the stewards were afraid to 90
this knowing that the evidence didn't war
rant it.
Without specifying any particular horse
or owner the friends of Martin claim
that it is the practice of some owners to
engage a high-class jockey to ride some
prominent fayorite with the intention of
laying against tho horse. These owners,
It is claimed kno,, that the horse Is in
poor shape to race and they engage a
ffrst-class rider with a twofold object-to
clay" against him one day and to procure
n good price against him in a subsequent
effort on the strength of his defeat.
They cite as an illustration OF this meth
cd a case in California this winter when
Walter Miller was put on horse that
was big favOrite when the animal was
totally unfit to make his best effort A few
days later with fourth-class rider on his
back and when the odds were big Millers
dead one came to life and won easily.
There Are Other Stories.
In opposition to these views there are
many stories that are detrimental to Mar
tin These reports say that. contrary TO the
racing rules, he bet heavily on several
horses The two-year-old colt Gresham Is
one of the horses that he Is supposed to
have made wagers on. His peculiar handling
of this youngster in the races he lost and
the orc he won. but for which Gresham was
disqualified. lend color to the rumor that
Martin rode the horse easily one day In or
der to get price against him In his subse-
uuent effort 1t was common gossip that
Martin had a big bet on Gresham the day
that the colt was set back. Because of that
bet he rode recklessiy, race-goers declare:
In his previous efforts his riding lacked
yigor
The story that whisky was passed into the
jockey-room frequently by Wallets was a
familiar one To most turfmen. Several OF
the prominent riders were mentioned among
those who had partaken freely of the liquor
SOM horsemen say that Martin drank some
OF II. but his friends deny that IL had inca
paCitated him in the slightest degree for
filling all the requirements of his calling.
The plea to have Martins suspension re-
vOkcd is not made with any object to have
him ride again this winter, but in order that
ha mn
spring with clean reputation.
Ii probable that Jockey Radtke will be
In tie saddle here before he begins opera
tons In the east for the season at BenninS
One of his employers Paul ]. Rainey. Is a
daily visitor at the tracks here. Several of
the prominent owners. among them Robert
Tucker. have requested Rainey to wire
Radtke 10 report here on his way north
Raiuey has accepted the suggestion. and
when Radtke arrives his principal mounts
will be from the stable owned by Tucker.
Radtke Retains Old Skill.
Radtke Is now at the Ascot Park track.
He rode Runaway Saturday. 1t was his
first mount since his reinstatement. He
showed while at the barrier that his en-
forced retirement had not dulled his skill
and he beat the barrier by three lengths.
Runaway unequal to the occasion.
however. and was defeated.
With the Nashville and Memphis meet
ings wiped off the racing map by the anti
track bill passed by the legislature of
Tennessee there is big gap between the
scheduled race meetings here and those
that will take place at Churchill Downs.
Lexington and Latonia In order TO fill up
the void the officials of the Fair Grounds
and the City Park Track have consented to
extend their meetings until the sport opens
in Kentucky.
The three-mile record that Mamie Algol
established Saturday. although a good one
from time standpoint. Is really not u per-
formauCe Of great merit. Three-mile races
are few and far between in this country
Contests of this kind are no longer held in
the east, and there are only two or three
events at that distance throughout the
country. Naturally only a lot of selling
platers take part in them. because there is
not sufficient remuneration for owners to
keep their horses in proper condition to go
the long journey. Benning has three
mile race and usually there is one at Oak
land. Cal similar event here completes
the chain of races. The horses Ihat try for
these purses are OF poor caliber. If high