The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-02-17
THE FUTURE OF RACING
IN PRECARIOUS STATE
Turf Situadonin Both East and West Is None Too Assu
ing-"Reforners" in California and New York
Gathering Strength for Attack Against Game.

of racing were foiled-ThrOugh the adop-
ton Of tactics which divorced the book
makers from any official connection
with the owners Of the track The book
makers paid no revenue and We're 20 be
found walking about the grounds just
ike any one else who paid s. 10 come iH.
There is exactly The principle upon
which the turf rests SO solidly in Eng
land today. There VIII always be racing
there. In the East August Belmont
long ago foresaw the necessity Of
adopting this plan in America. First
the commercial connection between the
'Nets'-tEe bookmakers' organization
ard the track owners was destroyed
Next summer the bookmakers viii DE
obliged TO walk around, as they did at
Benning last autumn.
The gate receipts must pay the i'd
dler SO far as New York racing is con
cerned- Good authorities say there IS
no good reason why racing should not
continue undlsturbed for years To come
in the East in the domain OF the Jockey
Club under this simple arrangement
Percy-Grey law, or no Percy-Grey law.
As 1 said before, the race track owners
T..
track gambling in recognizing the exist
eHce of boOkmakers through taking "A
daily fee of Sl05 per bookmaker. Had
they depended upon an increased gate
admission rate. all would have been
good. Now, with the reform wave
sweeping everything before il, it will be
hard matter 10 do things which should
have been accomplished when the iron
was hot, years ago"
In the West next summer Churchill
Downs and Douglas Park. at Louisville.
KY. viii run meetings, while Latonia.
also in Kentucky, and just across the
Ohio river from pOpulOus Cincinnati,
Ohio, is In a position 10 give a meet
ing, too. OF course. there will be, a
greater influx OF Western turf people
TO the East this coming summer than
occurred last year. The march 10 Ben
ming has ALREADY set in. Early today a
hopeful word was heard This was re-
speeding Havana and the new course at
Holloway Junction. w Va, near Pitts
burg. Pa, Handsome plants will be
built at both these points during the
next ten months and racing instituted
at an early date. In the years 10 come,
if racing is hard pressed in Louisiana
or the CALIFORNIA; during the winter.
retreat may be made to Havana Here
great game is possible, for the Illinois
Central railroad and the several strong
Gulf Of Mexico passenger steamship
lines will do everything possible to boom
a racing enterprise there.
The Mardi Gras period saw the great
est game down here known to winter
horse racing in this country. Next to
New York, this city is now the banner
turf center of the country On last
Tuesday fully 5000 racegoers attended
City PARK, while upward of forty book
makers weighed in for business. During
the afternoon the curious sight of John
w. Gates, Paul ]. Rainey, Jesse Levi
sohn George Langdon. Bob" Tucker
and Fred Burley. five of the biggest
plungers on the New York turf. dart
ing here and there through the maze
of booking stands was observed. Dur
ing the carnival DAYS hundreds of rae
ing fiends from the North had a chance
for 4 dash at their favorite sport. and
at times one could fancy himself back
in the summer days about Gravesend
Undoubtedly racing here at New Or
leans has developed into a big thing
Next year the Crescent City Derby Will
be made over into a $4,000 race, while
$500 purses will be 5iven instead of 500
as now prevail.