New-York tribune., 1908-01-13
COMMENT ON SPORTS.
RACING DATES APPROVED.
Nezrs and Tiesrs on Current Topics,
Amateur and Professional.

The stewards of the Jockey Club and those IN
control of the various racing ASSOCIATIONS III
this state can be congratulated Tor 'heir nan
ding of the vexed question of an equitable al
Iotnent of dates for the coming season In or
der 10 give proper recognition TO the Empire
city Racing Association, which is now wlthh
,b, sola so 10 speak, the other associations were
forced to make some concessions, and thls was
dome in q spirit Of fairness which reflects
a;+ on all concerned The best interests
Of the sport have been conserved and harmony
.xists where a wear ago there was much INC
,fon and discord James Butler, president OF
the Eu1pire City Racing Association ana ms
attorney James Russell Soley, made long ana
determined fight for recognition, which was OPP
posed by the State Racing Commission ana 'iie
Jockey Club for reasons which appeared SOUND
10 them once the question was settieo' now
ever the hatchet was buried, and the sport VIII
he the better for it. II would be nara 10 lIios-
,r. be,,er ARRANGEMENT of dates with so many
.,-erests 10 be considered. Mr.. Butler has eA-
messed himself as entirely satisfied He gets
CO.,, 6e,,s in August Of which five are clear
and the meeting at Yonkers will begin al'er d
L,-. 1e.,,r of about two weeks. which is long
.,our,, ro v-bet afresh the appetites of those
,.bo may have grown track sore The rest
of the dates come in october, at time "Heh
the Enclosure in westchester County should pe
the most attractive of all the year. 1hose WHO
enjoy the change Of air and scene at saratoga
vyiu nor flock back when the Empire Clty meet
ing begins but. even if the majority shouo' III
teresf in the sport up the state is keen enough
81 make the meeting there pay without all the
..reeulars'' from New York. This was proved
last wear beyond all question, when Nonkers
-.oed in conflict for seventeen days With the
4,+a o,,as+io1 settled and cut of the way the
.ci,r- skies are clear except for an o1nlnous
,loud ,1p Albany way. Just how far TINS VIII
spread out is cause fer much concern among
racing folk
This snbiect of possible adverse legislation
Of which 50 mach has been said and written
since the Governors message, has led one ol
my correspondents TO write as follows:
xyo,la il not be far better TO regulate gambling
znd intenlperance than TO try 10 pronlplt ,9 lneII
entirely? The first is quite feasible the SesoIlo 60 I
TlsInjgb impossible Gambling is regulated 10 a a
large extent At The Tacetrack cen eEen sociat;on
Jockey Club and the various racing ~ asSocle .
90 not recognize betting man or d No.laii .t nar y
goes TO the track Tor 'le +sir5ent p in the open
and afternoon IL, - ara sener-
- a nd there more of these tIan are ~ ~seitSI
all, credifade can do without seeing or know
ing that bet is being mace II PeICnatb5 ,ba ne s,,b
ebe hse anv conscientious ScrupleS on lue 80
sr,7 any consideration for the betting end, anu ana
while the opportunity 10 speculaI6 is sacn9dsrv so
80 ne 4he running Of races Is concerned IS ~
lsI shon % b[- TIffinC up more barriers against
- iae7ar5ize tho life Of sport which IN iiseH ~, -
So xhoiesonle and invigoratlng 70 leopaIuitStS
-5sresrs in the breeding Of thoroushhIeuss
~ So more or less directly, the improvement VI
the utility horse2
Nv correspondent would Involve me III '"e
discussion Of a question over which ieaoHle So
biologists disagree. and must neg 'he III -
,,,os,ion a. teiug outside the realm OF sport ana
-,.-r ~ tho second which involves TO some eN-
,en, the snort Of racing. Under the wise ana
- ,,,,,ol Of the Jockey Club racing has grown
md ,ros,,ered 10 point where between twenty
,bousand and forty thousand persons VIII turn
ont on holidays and Saturdays 10 watch the pat
-la of the tlloroughbreds- Betting Is purely III
,idental TO 75 per cent of these, whereas II may
add 10 the zest and pleasure of race ana III
my opinion the present popularity OF the spor'
vas engendered more by the love OF keen com
netition between royalty bred horses than by the
desire bet.