Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-28
GATES BETS
HARD TO LAY
BRIGHTON ODDS LAYERS FEAR
BIG PLUNGER
SHORT PRICE ON HORSES HE
PICKS TO WIN
Ring May Not Assume Normal Condi-
tons Until Saratoga Meeting.
Boots Durneli's Friends
In Right
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
NEW YORK, July 27.-With the advent
of midsummer, the usually populous clut
house at the Brighton Beach track has
become comparatively free from the busy
throng of seekers after good things, and
as several of the mort important clut
house layers have begun to refuse wag-
ers proffered by John w. Gates, that gen.
! tleman has found it somewhat difficult tc
place his money on his choice for race.
| His well known messengers are always
at hand with big money to offer, but so
often have the plunges on the Durnell
and other horses proved fortunate for
| Mr.. Gates that the layers in the big ring
have become tired of paying out to him.
One reason for this is that no other
bettor is now at the course whose wag-
ers could be used to offset the money bet
by Mr.. Gates. Many men of wealth who
| occasionally place good sized amount
on horse are now either in the noun
tains or abroad. This state of affairs
may continue until the Saratoga meet
ing when, as the season there advances,
Mr.. Gates will not be the only man to
bet high, though he is undoubtedly the
heaviest operator at the tracks. His
money is usually placed in the ring by
Alfred Dreyer Leslie Coggins and Arthur
Redfern. formerly a jockey. The latter,
ness relations with c. E. Durnell. and as
the latter is now a prominent factor in
racing the Redferns are participating in
his successes.
Short Odds for Gates Commissions
The layers here determined, however,
that any horse which Mr.. Gates bets on
will be at short odds-much shorter than
in the natural course of events ought
to be the case. In the opening event at
Brighton recently after Spooner and The
Squire were scratched and Miller was put
up on Golden Pearl, the half-brother to
the dead Water Pearl, J. E. Madden's
Uncle was quoted at l to 2, and these
were the odds Mr.. Gates agents took
for a large commission. This money did
not go on, however, without some sort
of knowledge as to the condition of
Golden Pearl, whose odds rose from to
l. to I.
Until the sensitive betting ring resumes
its normal condition, which it may not do
until the Saratoga meeting is well under
way, any horse selected by Mr. Gates to
wager on will be at very short odds, pro-
vided the acute layers can feel sure that
it is his money that is being wagered
Sometimes they are caught, as was the
case in the Red Leaf race the other day,
when as high as 8 to / was laid, but so
much money went in on this mare at
the last moment that the layers did not
cease talking about it for several days.
They had no idea it was Mr.. Gates
money.
Counterfeit Badges MuIct Layers
One of the layers was forced to pay
twice a bet of 500 on Cressna for
place in the race won by McCarter the
other day because some cunning counter
feiter of badge numbers had stood by
the book and heard Otto StifeTs COM
missioner make the bet The counter
feiter heard the badge number called off,
and when the race was over one of the
first bets paid was to a man who gave
the badge number. In a few moments
Mr.. Stifers agent came along and claimed
the money. Then it was realized that
the ring was harboring a counterfeiter,
and John Cavanagh issued a notice to
all the cashiers to take particular notice
of strangers who attempted to collect
winning wagers and to be particular to
examine both sides of the badges. Otto
Stifel is the st. Louis horseman who
owned Colonial Girl when she beat Her
mis- in the Worlds Fair handicap at st.
Louis.
After the fourth race, won by Rapid
Water, the stewards called Radtke into
the stand and asked him if anything
had happened to Orbicular, his mount.
Radtke said that he got away very
badly which was apparent, and that the
horse hung to the rail repeatedly. Pos
sibly the fact that Orbicular's odds went
back, while Rapid Water was heavily
supported, caused more than usual at
tention to be paid to the winnings of
the race. 1t is fact that in each of
Orbicular's two winning races he has
been the medium of a successful plunge
of large proportions. Second call on
Radtke has been secured by C. r. Eli
son.