Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-04
SCANDAL BREWING
ON RACE TRACKS

NEW YORK May 4.-There is trouble
ahead for western horse owners who have
raced their horses recently with but one
object in VieW-tO get the money. They
have gone outside the pale of the racing
rules to obtain cash and have accom-
pliShed their purpose once or twice. But
if they continue their practices they will
be brought up sharply and will find them
selves without license or "a race course
over which to race their horses.
The stewards not satisfied with the
way racing has been conducted during the
last week. Horses that should have won
failed to do SO. The western contingent
were not satisfied with the odds offered
against their horses. and backed the con-
tenders. Each time their judgment proved
correct, for the horse selected won. and
they cashed their bets. Made bold by this
success, the wesierners are preparing to
reap d harvest They expect to effect
two or three coups in the near future.
The stewards have had detectives on their
trail. and it is only question of short
time when one or TWO of these owners
will be found missing OH the local tracks.
Toward the end of the racing season
last fall a big western turfman and
owner and heavy plunger manipulated
several races to his great financial BEN
eft. There were several races in which
there were only two contestants. and this
man always managed TO pick the winner.
Sometimes there was a startling reversal
in the form of the horses, during which
the One-time beaten horse turned the ia
bles on his former conqueror. But no
matter what the results of these races
were. the big plunger cashed and won
fortune. 1t was because of his great sue
cess and his unerring ability to pick
winners that a great dea! of ScandalouS
talk arose.
Encouraged by the success of this man.
some of his friends from the same section
Of the country are beginning to adopt
similar tactics. In the vernacular of the
ring they are not SportSmen, but sure
thing players. They race horses not for
the enjoyment of the sport. but for the
revenue. They break the rule daily which
prohibits an owner from betting on Il
horse in Il race except the one that he
starts They make a sure thing of The
result. and do not care whether their
own horses are beaten.
In two races Saturday at the Jamaica
| track horses finished second that should
have won. They We're beaten seemingly
by laundering horsemanship. but there
was an undercurrent of power behind
this wretched jockeyship The rider had
an object i'm view. turfmen declared yes
terday They pointed to the fact that the
lad who rode the horse was one of the
best jockeys. and that whenever the west
ern horsemen for whom he rides placed
a bet he seldom if ever failed TO land the
money.
bued with the idea that the stewards of
the jockey club have lad their attention
focused on the fight at Albany and that
they can do as they please without fear
of detection. No more fall3cious idea
ever prevailed. The jockey club stewards
are not asleep. They are alert and watch
ing every move made by this western del
egation.
All last summer a certain horse owner
who had Won important events with his
horses and a jockey who had ridden
many of the winners of the stake feat
ures manipulated races to suit themselves
They went along with their tactics, i'll
blissful ignorance that they were being
Swallowed. When the jockey club had OBJ
tanned sufficient evidence to place them
effect.