Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-14
SOME QUEER JUMPING RACES
OBVIOUS CROOKEDNESS ON THE
NEW YORK TRACKS.
Jockeys Charged With All But Pull.
ing the Horses In Front Of
the Judges Stand.
By Clarence L. Cullen.

NEW YORK, October 14.-LeSt any
body doubt when asseverate that never
in the history of American racing has
there been so much raw and obvious
crookedness in plain view on the New
York tracks as there has been this racing
season. l invite the doubter to read the
comments on the racing every day In the
most conservative of the New York news
papers; in the papers that have been de-
Tending the game from attack through
thick and thin for years. The thing has
become too raw even for the patience of
the defenders of the game. Not a day
passes that something almost ridiculously
rotten doesn't happen on the New York
tracks. The star Jockeys have become 50
impudent. what with the fact that the
ste wards have been sound asleep ever
since Aqueduct and have barely asked
a question. that they all but pull horses
right in front of the judges stand. Jock
eys hitherto supposed to be clean have
been caught right in the article of
snatching horses, and yet the turf au-
| thorities have done nothing to protect
| the Bugs who persist in tossing their
good money after 'em. The recent
| Gravesend meeting. in the deliberate
judgment of men who have been follow
| ing the turf game for gene ration, beat
anything for utter and unSpeakable rot
tenness. considered from any. and every
angle. that was ever seen at such out
law tracks as Iron Hill or Wheeling.
Throughout the entire season the
steeplechase races have been the merest
joke Nearly half of the bookmakers in
the main ring have now, at the flag end
Of the season. stopped laying prices
against the jumpers. If anything on top
of this earth ever was obvious. it is the
obvious thing that the great majority of
the steeplechases run on the New York
tracks during this racing season have
been plain and open "shoo-ins." Take the
dope on 'em. carry it back to the begin
ming of the season and look it over care
fully. 1t will be found that the horse
that the previous time out was beaten
a quarter of mile; that couldn't run
lather, this time out beats the same field
by the same quarter of a mile. with more
weight up. and with the most consum-
mate. ease. In every case the betting
indicates the shoo-in. Not one of the So
called crack steeplechase jockeys has es-
capped suspicion
The jumping events are looked upon as
overnight races sure enough-all fixed up
overnight. that Is to say. When the good
jumping horse can't be made to lose any
other way the jockey who's in on the
shoo-in picks out nice little knoll or
hummock Of soft grass for himself and
just rolls Off then makes a living picture
for a bit like somebody that has been
hurt quite some. and is removed to the
paddock in the ambulance. where he
presently kicks up his heels and goes out
to collect his bit for the job. Don't
imagine that this is any fancifu picture.
There can scarce be found follower of
the game in all New York at the present
time who doesn't laugh at the mere men
ton of the steepiechase races that have
been run hereabouts this year.
1t looks as If the jumping game is
on its final legs. Obtuse and opaque as
the turf authorities have been this year,
it is absurd to suppose that they can go
right on thick-headedly condoning this
sort Of work Indefinitely. The general
demand Is for the elimination of the
jumping races altogether, and there are
those who predict that there won't be
any Of that kind of racing next year-if,
indeed, the skids are not put under the
racing business around here altogether
next year by Gov. Hughes. and there are
plenty of far-seeing ones who predict
that. too.
But there'll be jumping races down at
little old Benning next month. of course.
Plenty of 'em. And the boys'Il be out
there sending along their little holiday
saved change on the shOo-ins. 1t is Won
derful what a power Of waloping a man
must have before he snaps himself out
of the pony trance and arrives at the
chill. gray conclusion that
You can't beat the old thing.