The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-13
SPORTING TALK OF INTEREST
JOCKEY CLUB PUZZLED OVER
THE EMPIRE CITY CASE.

Sc
IMPOSED 60 ON August Meeting. which
James ButIcr DesIres-Auueduct and
G;raVesend. COntroIied by p. ,. Dryer.
May sect considerable cut IN Dates.
The Jockey Club stewards. who field a
meeting yesterday, have not yet decided
what disposition to make Of the case of the
Empire City TrOttinG Club of YOnkers. The
recent verdict of the Court Of Appeals makes
II plain that the Empire Track Is entitled to
both a license from the state Racing Com
mission and dates from the Jockey Club.
James Butler. the principal owner OF the
YOnkers plant. has not expressed himself
publicly AZ TO what set Of dates will he accept
able to him. but Il Is generally understood
that he is anxious to hold another race meet
ing In August in view of the generous patron
aRe Of the public at YOnkers last summer.
when a meeting was held under the most
nngavOrable CirCumstR nces. II Is known that
the owners of the Saratoga track. who are
also prominent members OF the Jockey club.
are not in favor Of anOi her conflict with
Empire City. u il said also that the Sara
tOga people believe that Mr.. Butler should ,
receive dates in the spring and fall which
would permit their track TO have clear sailing.
But on the contrary IL ~ stated that all
the other racing associations are not inclined
to accept a cut in their schedules to admit
such an arrangement for Nonkers just
NnHt VIII ne uOne. therefore, u n pTODlCIl
that few can solve az present.
Under che provisions OF the Percy-Gray
law any racetrack in the ~ ate of New York
Ia entitled to race forty days. MIR. Butler
has that privilege. but he does not care to
take advantage Of II. lie is anxious for
harmony and feels that in view of the sue
cessful fight that he has made in the courts
and the profitable meeting he conducted
lari summer he IL entitled to formal reCogni-
ton. u Is understood that several members
Of the Jockey club object to Mr.. Buffers
business relations with a syndicate Of Western
turfmrn headed by Matt i. VIM. aud that
II these persons should be eliminated by Mr..
Butler there would be better feeling all around.
But when Mr.. Butler called upon Messrs.
VIM and RhinOck for assist anc' II was due
60 the attitude of the Jockey club, which
steadily trOwued upon the NCukers meeting
right up to within a week before H. opened.
Mr.. Buffers friends state that IL he had de-
pended upon his own resources instead Of
calling in the Western combination his meet
ing would have been ? farce and would have
provided excellent grounds for . successful
argument by the Racing COmmissiOp's at
torneys before tho Court Of Appeals. With
no horses. no Jockeys or Officials compel ent
TO act the NOnkers meeting would have been
q huge failure, end such a-condition Of affairs
would have existed had il not haen for the
fact that VIM and Rhinock for a cOnsidera-
tioD provided thOrOughbTedS, riders and
even bookmakers. who made the meeting a
success.
Mr.. Buffers friends say therefore. that it
would be unfair TO turn VIM and RhinOck
down in future in view ~ the valuable assist
ance rendered by them. The Jockey Club.
however. by placing the Butler track on the
same plane with the other race courses in
this State would doubtless eliminate the in
fuences OF the Wetern Clique without much
delay, for the bets horses, and Jockeys would
40 to YOnkers. thereby crowding to the wall
the decidedly inferior talent sent on by the
West. II Workers gets dates in the spring
and fall il is raid that the t;ravesend and
Aqueduct tracks will have to stand a bigger
cut than the other Jockey club tracks.
d'ravesend and Aqueduct are now controlled
by one man. p. J. Dryer. who has reaped a
financial harvest from both OF them. In
looking over the situation. it is believed that
MIR. Dryer will he regarded in the light of
having too much Of a good thing for the best
interests Of the turf. 30 that his dates for both
tracks will be cut down. BY looping on one
or two days from all the other tracks room
can be easily made FOR Workers. which, il is
believed. will he asked to open and close the
Metropolitan season. In that way Saratoga
would he looked after in the same Old way.
Mr.. Butler has been in New Orleans recently
discussing the situation with Matt VIM,
who. IL IL said. is strongly in favor of IN Aug
ust meeting on the lines OF the one held this
year. Altogether it is a decidedly interesting
case, which places the Jockey club in 4 rather
aWkwardpredicament he TOwCrs
that he fully expected that the contention Of
the Racing Commission that Yonkers should
not have a license would he upheld by the
Court OF Appeals.
The Newcastle Stable won sal. 36. tii,
year and wound up the campaign without
the financial support of Frank &. Bishop.
who sold out hiS stock in midseason. The
stable started on with n flourish. Andrew
Miller. Blair Painter and Mr.. Bishop being
the owners. But the retirement of Mr.. Bishop
resulted in the taking in OF Tom Welsh. the
trainer. as a partner. The fact that Miller
was allowed to get away from the combina-
ton would seem to indicate that the stable
in future will not be so formidable a.
In the paRt.