Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-24
RACING S|TOAT|ON
REVIEWED BY EXPERT
Newton Bennington, the Well.
Known Horseman, Gloomy
Over Present Outlook.

Over Present Outlook.
Newton Bennington the New York
broker who has been an owner Of famous
thoroughbreds and a noted ali-around turf
man for many years, does not take a hope
ful view Of the racing situation in the
United States. Mr.. Bennington dropped of
here short time ago on his way up from
Florida, where he has been building up his
health. which became somewhat impaired
last year.
While I don't like to give public utter
ance to views that may have pessimistic
sound, 1 am nevertheless bound to say that
the situation as regards the continuance Of
high-grade racing in the United States looks
bad to me at this time" Mr.. Bennington
said in an interview here. IT am not
speaking of the situation in any one section
of the country-in New York state, for ex-
ampie-but everywhere The agitation
against racing extends throughout the
onlted states. / am advised by thoroughly
reliable informants that the winter game
is really on it's last legs in such a racing
stronghold as New Orleans. The people
down there are aroused against the gam
bling feature of the game. A determined
enort is in progress-and they will keep on
trying-to close the New Orleans tracks
and that effort must be successful sooner
or later. In California, especially in Los An
geles. a strong sentiment has sprung up
against racing, and the game is in a very
wabbly state there. There is less agitation
against the San Francisco tracks just now
because the San Franciscans who oppose
racing are too busy to give the matter their
attention, but the anti-racing party of San
FRANCISCO is strong party and will take
up its crusade again in due time. The
game is practically dead in Arkansas. That
is admitted. l doubt if Oaklawn, at Hot
Springs, will ever have another meeting.
Chicago Tracks Closed for Years.
There seems hardly a chance in the
world that the Chicago tracks will be re-
opened for years to come. If ever again
The game is as dead as a door-nail in Mis-
souri,. 1t was not Joe Folk alone who kill
ed racing in Missouri. The projectors Of
the game in that state permitted it to fall
into evil ways, so that the people were
aroused against it. st. Louis will hardly
ever again be the great racing town that it
once was The game merely struggles along
In Kentucky. 1t Is not hampered in that
state so much by unfriendly legislation as
by the fact that there are not enough peo-
people around the Kentucky racing centers
to provide for big gate and thus make
the game profitabe-and, in spite OF all
that may be said to the contrary, racing is
not going 10 be continued anywhere where
is 1t not profitable. Not much is to be ex-
pected from the Ohio tracks. and the anti
racing crowd in Cincinnati is composed of
powerful people. Why, even in such
free-and-easy section of the country as
Montana, where there are bush tracks, the
exploiters of the game are being fought by
a powerful crowd unalterably opposed to
racing in all of it's branches. and l have
heard that up in Seattle, where the folk
could scarcely be accused of smugness,
determined effort is on foot to put a stop
n oil f1,nHr how tho,A
Opposition in Washington.
1.-THE game seems certainly to be totter-
ing here in Washington. The system of
betting adopted here at Benning during
the last meeting may be practicable enough.
even If 1t is abominably exasperating and
uncomfortable work, but 1 can hardly be-
lieve. knowing what I do of the profound
hostility against racing existing in certain
strong quarters here, that the game will
be allowed to go on at Benning much
longer under any circumstances or with
any form of betting. Some legal method,
] am confident, will at no distant time be
found to stop racing altogether around
Washington. l have talked with a good
many Washingtonians about it since ar
irving here, and they all appear to be
forninst' the game. They say that the
Washington men, most of them government
people, really can't afford to play the
ponies, and that when they lose-as I sup
do you think?-they are bound to go shy
in the paying of their legitimate bills all
of which arrays the merchant class, as we'll
as the officials more or less responsible
for the proper behavior of the government
employees, against racing.
Hostility in New York.
II have gone over the situation as it APP
pears to me and in accordance with in
formation that has reached me in all sec
tons where racing is carried on except
New York. / think hardly need elaborate
as to the situation in New York. The
game is in parlous condition there, to
put it mildly. The hostile legislati ton aimed
at 1t may be deferred for time, but 1t
seems Impossible to suppose that it will not
be spread upon the books sooner or later.
l can't see how anything is to be gained
by lodging the issue or by seeking to give
out the impression that the racing game Is
not only not menaced in New York, but
as safe as a church There Is tremendous
feeling against racing in New York, and
know of no imaginable reason why this
fact should not be looked Squarely in the
face Nor are the people back Of this agi-
tation against New York racing by any
means fools, merely SNUG individuals who
don't know what they about. They
know very we'll what they are about they
have the benefit of eminent counsel, and
there is even something to be said on the
side of their contention that racing has its
bad features. Don't jump to the cOnclu-
sion that / have gone over to the anti
racing crowd because l say this. But 1
think 1t must be obvious to any thoughtful
man who knows the racing game in this
country-even to thoughtful men who par
ticipate in its pleasures-that the ineradi-
cable gambling feature of the game is
capable of doing very great deal of harm.
especially among oorly-balanced young
fellows and that it has actually caused
great deal of harm already. There are two
sides to all questions-I say that at the
risk of being accused of making bro
mide' And the side of the anti-racing
crowd is one well calculated to gain the
support of tens of thousands of persons
who have in nowise suffered themselves
through the racing game and who really
know very little about it, except what they
are told by their Jealous leaders.
"'Billy' Garth had passed the word
around to the Virginians that 1t would be
all right to take the early price, for Garth
never showed a symptom of the get-it-all
proclivIty. There was, at the opening. some
GO to / against Little Woods, and slathers
of 40 to l. None of the VirginianS got left
M, tho tn 1 and the most Drice in all Of