New-York tribune., 1908-02-04
TRUTH ABOUT RACING" /"
Booklet Distributed By Those Inter-
ested IN the Sport.

| A booklet entitled .The Truth About Racing
| has published and distributed by those inter
| ested in the sport who are opposed 70 the aii'i-
betting bills introduced in the State Legislature.
1t takes up general discussion OF racing anu i''
aims and treats of the subject from almost every
/ angle. It begins follows:
| "Racng needs no apology. may this IN any
manner be assumed to be such Rather IS the ann
an exclamation of what 1t is, Of its character ana
its class of the manner Of its conduct OF us AUS"
Iute necessity f the Thoroughbred and through hiih
the entire horse product of this country Is 10 oe
made of larger worth both TO the preeoer ato the
purchaser. -, 49,,
Racing is the only medium through which the
comparative values of different strains or biooo are
.scer.ained 1t is the only determlnatiFe test
whereby breeder and public alike may gam ieid
lively exact standard. Racing associA'ioii' .
tribute their quota to this in the onerihs Vi
or stakes of many thousands of dollars and oS
continuing these stakes or prizes at the same ois-
+ances and year after year the same courses
IT becomes possible for the potency oil some par
tcular strain assert itself or the hiatiiis "As
| some certain scientific lines to prove us value.
These prizes both from their monetary value ana
from the sentiment attached to the winning Vi oiio
of these classics have been the mos. poMe,iu' III
eentiye squirting on to enterprise in breeoins.
| In touching on the much discussed question OF
what IS wrong one side or iehce 10 "ioAs 'A
| the other, it says: ~, l., ~
Private wagering betting. If you VIII. ad Is an
evil which il may be accepted viii be ! pdacmssa m use,
just so long the faint of 3r,ginh h sl reSlaaion
which will minimize and restrict ,t is qood
one one state hsaev VIA and in sport without in
otheI states eradicatng the evils "ici II - '0Ne
The argument urged constantly ,b by the II ipenn cone
iiee i,nt ~ that il permIts betting inside the race
track inclosure while betting OUTSIDE ,inn ,ie the
facts underlying this specious argument is to forth
win bss no law in force which declares betting
vicious in itself. One may wager on Ca ear1 On sai anv
athietic contest which attends without commit att
ting crime On the other hand; dive ne or may pool
room Without incurring penalty This wise Sc
has WR PRshh the hui
man nature would not submit to ppop9seI pth racng
law confnes and restricts such betting as is nGi to
dent to obsr tes a of speed or certain
times and places. 1t confines the act oba 0l and
INCORPORATED association, conducting its operations ]
under state PntrI and regulates conduct pre-
serves order and suppresses and punishes Vio.ois Us
OF ev diference between the act of betting under
such conditions and the same act iii po'"'oii 0'
It is no new principle in law or fact that hat what @
not be at another Lawnaking assemhlages have
embodied similar principles IN statues "i'0U'
number.
After touching on the work accomplished by the
! breedinr bureau of the Jockey Club and pointing
out what the thoroughbred blood means 10 'ie
| farmer In raising livestock. it takes up inc sup
! iect Of where lot Of the money goes, ana Sa9
Now as to the useful side of racing, apart from
the breeding industry itself. Last year there were
in active training on the several ,rehs @ exactng
inquiry disclosed The actual sggrsgste gre ga 35 f3Ss
maintenance of these horses vas So,-1y So,i; tba
represents the usual daily fee at s3 when IS tne
trainers ordinary compensation for the care: sta &
take into account the Special retainers paid to men
in charge of large establishments or TINS SoVo.-
for oats hay bran, straw and other feed and bed
ding for the horses leaving out of calculation en-
yIat
rectiy through the large army of attendants which
demsns ee the Choicest of everythng which
and is consequently constant market for the most
There are other items that mount up into the
raPos there s for instanc that Of
transportation. The annual exodus TO Saratoga,
ers and attendants not less than S35 0Oo and with
special trains tI0 m probably makes the amount foot up
has ceased there is migration TO Louisiana and
to California and this in cost for the transporta-
$40 900 each year Add to this the fare of owners.
freeand to it the expenses of shifting
track all over the country. and there is according
| Guiding the cost of the shipments of yearings
sum not far from another half million of dollars
In referring to the contracts made by the various
racing associations with owners in the offering Of
stakes the book says:
The growth of racing in this state has surely
been steady. Operating under the Percy-Cray law
and paying one-twentieth of their receipts to the
Of money have been expended betterments and
improvements of the various courses, and many
valuable prizes have from year to year been offered
for competition some of them worth to the winner
upward Of $4,000. Many of these obligations
entered into years in advance Of the day
the race, and any interference with present cond-
tons would mean easily loss of million dollars
in the aggregate by the racing associations.
There is moral obligation the part of the
state in this connection. Having surrounded the
sport with every safeguard. and having every
to believe in the permanency OF the sport
these contracts with horsemen were made in good
faith. They will be lived up to, matter what
be the op fhe lhapy b,Yr
the question which naturally arises in the minds
Of justice loving is, rs IL fair destroy
the property of any body Of after hav-
ing encouraged its creaton?' The racing assoca-
tions have always thought, and still confident
that they promoting the sport with due regu-
larity and well within the requirements Of the law.