The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-01
GOSSIP OF THE RACETRACK
B0OkMAKER MAllYGAN IN con-
rROL OF BUFFAkOS MEETING.
Western Operators unn 7g Things with y
Free Hand At kcnilw'orth PARK
} Combine WIN soon NpntrOl Fort Eric
Layers StiIl PuttfnksUp 500 . Day.

In the conduct Of racing at Wentworth Park
Buffalo. Ever since the Iueeting opened
the twenty odd bookmakerst forming an
ironclad syndicate. have been paying a revenue
Of 800 a day each for the privilege Of laying
the prices, the track meanwhile operating
under a license granted by the State Racing
Commission. The man behind the scenes
az Wentworth Park. managed byNone Joseph
4. Murphy. once identified with Corrigan.
Celia and other Western racetrack pro-
meters. In John n. MadiRan. a 'syndicate'
bookmaker who halls from Texas. Madigan
10 the king OF the Buffalo betting ring and
what he says is law. Madigan's money and
Madigan's ideas as to the proper method
OF framing the odds predominant. He rules
with an iron hand and that means every
thing.
Bookmakers who would operate on an
independent basis are not wanted at Buffalo,
for Madigan does not believe in he,eXistepce
OF an open rims" such as has proved'a success
on the metropolitan tracks. Furthermore.
Madigan and those identified with him have
so arranged matters that they'will get,control
Of the Fort Erie track, near Buffalo. in the
near future. so that il would be oflittle moment
to them IL when that time arrives racing
. at Buffalo should he snui ed out by the au-
thorities of Erie county for the reason that
the track management and the gambling
element could be connected by means of
establishing the existence of u partnership
involving the 1dlly lTlDhle from ln' ldt'IS'
OF about g.. 500 a day.
Horsemen who In We been to Buffalo since
the present meeting opened say that various
rules OF the Jockey Club have been broken
with impunity. They say that tho track
is in the hands Of the .hookmakers and that
the chances Of the public for fair play have
diminished to an alarming degree. They
also assert that the existence of syndicate
methods in the ring has injured the sport
to q marked degree. and they predict that
unless the speculative element il forced into
the background as far a. the management
Of the track i concerned the bottom will
drop out Of the whole venture. Horsemen
have never been able TO understand why
the Jockey Club and the state Racing Com
mission. always on the alert 10 safeguard
racing In this state. ever permitted a COM
bination Of Western operators 20 get hold
Of the Buffalo plant. With racing in the states
~ Illinois, Missouri. Tennessee, Indiana
and other Western States wiped ont solely
because Of the methods now in vogue at
Buffalo. II would seem fair To assume that the
turf authorities in this state did not under
stand Just what was planned for Wentworth
Park when the license and the dates for he
present meeting were officially granted.
But experience works many cha nges and
for that reason horsemen believe that next
year Buffalo will have a meeting conducted
on the lines of those ~ the other Jockey club
NIothHs IN1tlhh VI NV flNh NV
never enjoyed greater prosperity than this
year. Why? because the public has un-
limited confidence in tho men who control
The Jockey Club and who have placed the
boSkmaking element in the back ground;
who have ema ncipated the turf from the
influence of the betting ring. and who have
made the sport una liable for the reason
that the track ma ma gers have no further
business dealings with tho men on the high
stools. That ia why horSenIcn say that Buff
falo should he similarly governed.
The clamor over the starting question
has been settled for n time NJ least by the
declaration by Mars Cassidy that the much
touesd walk up" system is lmpracticable.
IL ia probable that Cassidy saw the hand
writing on the wall when he made this
assertion The Jockey club has never
advocated anything but the fiatfooted break
since Cassidy failed to give acti ion
with the walk up" on the local tracks sew
ersl years ago. When u. p Whitney says
that nobody but checkers and touts are clam.
oring for the walk up" system he speaks
by the card Ii is the vail of disgruntled
bettors who have had a few of their choices
left at the post-not the demand Of the gen
eral public, Cassidy in future must stand
OF fall. II he can give satisfaction with the
hatfooted break all will he well n not
there may be another starter to divide M
the work with him next year When \
q Dade com rs 10 Brighton Beach the public
will have an excellent chance to compare
his work with that OF Cassidy. Dade ls 4
splendid starter. He has perfect m
OF his temper, enjoys the respect of the
Jockeys. and above all knows what patience
means at the post II is said that he can Nait
longer for a perfect alignment before SPRING
ing the barrier than any other starter he
has made many friends among local race.
goers, who will he glad to zee him on the
rail again this month az the Beach.
This will be an ~eventful week AZ Sleeps
head Bay track Tomorrow the Long
Island Handicap. AZ a mile and a furlong, viii
be run, with such eligibles as Or Gardner,
Ethou, First Premium Mont gomerv Tony
Faust. Proper. Joaquin. Suffrage. Iambesi.
Supcrman. Frank Gill. Running Water.
McCsrter, j. c, Core. Cairngorm. Brookdale
Nymph, Sir Lyhnewood and others. The
Pansy Stakes. for wo-year-olds, six fur
longs. on the turf. will be run on Wednesday.
with Royal Vane. Geo. Considine. Magazine.
Boas. Frizette, Transva8l. Scallop, Fresh.
Bsnysh. WOODLAND. Flrestone. HOLSTER and
San suine probable starters.
The features for Thursday. the Fourth Of
July-always a big day at the track are the
Independence Steeplechase, full course. with
all tbs beet timber toppers eligible the Spring
81 axes for two-year-olds. six furlongs. with
(hapultepec. ROYAL Nane. Live Wire. James
j.. Brady. Transvaal. Lady Winifred. Meelick.
King James, Harcourt. WOODLAND. Holli-l or,
Fancy and Beaucoup possible starters, the
Advance Stakes. weight for age, one mile
and three furlongs. with DR.. Gardner. Elec-
~tioneer. Peter Pan. Accountant, Flip Flap.
Nealon. Faust, Montgomery, Salvidere. Ar
cite, Running Water. Charles Edward. Good
Luck. Fountainblue and Ostrich in the list.
The Spindrift Handicap. for three-year-
olds. at a mile and a furlong. will be de-
cided on Friday with P~hilander. Cabochon,
Superman. Frank Gill. Arctic. McCarter. j. c.
Core. Charles Edward. Lord Lovat, Election
eer. Ethon. Fountainblue. Faust. Montgomery,
Tony Faust. Kentucky Beau and others. A
great card will be offered on Saturday. The
verna. for two-year-old FLIES. Ave fu-lon g,
may bring together Megg's Hill. Half Sover-
eign. Ella O'Neill. Aimee G., Beckon, Lady
winifred. WOODLAND. Mombassa and others.
The Common wealth Handicap. so. 900 added,
one mile and a quarter. is the event of the day
and IL generally a renewal of the Suburban.
The horses that are likely 70 go to the post
are Nealon. Faust. Flip FLAP. Tokalon, First
Premium. DHndelion. P~hilander, Arctic. Frank
Gill. RUNNING Water. DR.. Gardner. Coed
Luck, ElectionSer. Ironsides and others.