New-York tribune., 1908-06-17
RACING STILL DRAWS
POLICE HAZE QUIET DAY.
Brighton Beach to Cut Stakes and
Purses for July Meeting.

The policemen and pIainclothes men. some two
hundred strong. had quiet time at the Gravesend
racetrack yesterday. Only one arrest was naoe'
and there disorder Of any kind, as the good
sized crowd in attendance, which numbered fuly
four thousand persons. accepted the conditions as
they found them and made effort to evade the
new law against betting, unless the making OF
verbal wagers can be so construed. Even the more
optimistic again surprised at the size of the
crowd, and the belief Is growing that racing with
ont boollnaking can continue, if it does not
thrive as in the past.
George Caffaretta, a member of the Metropolitan
Turf Association, arrested; some said because
he exposed prices his programme, and others
because he accepted verbal bet which was over
heard hv 2 detective. He taken to the Coney
Island police court and released on bail. He VIII
get hearing on June q, together with the four
teen others who have been arrested for one cause
or another at Gravesend since the new law went
into effect
Assistant District Attorney Elder was not at the
track yesterday far could be learned nut
Commissioner Baker was on hand. together with
Inspectors Flood and OBrien, who had charge OF
the uniformed men Policemen were the sole occu-
wants oP the one time betting ring, which one of
the regulars suggested looked as ne imagined
Goldsmith's deserted village" did. The cro"o
gathered on the lawn in front of the grandstand
and there discussed the situation, the weather and
H. chances Of the horses in the various races.
Prices were quoted by word of mouth, ana some
bets were made but the majority of those In at
tendance watched a coed programme run or WITH
out any pecuniary interest
O. 7 FITZGERALD manager of the Brighton Beach
Pacing Association, announced yesterday that at d
meeting of the directors of the ASSOCIATION IL was
decided that the meeting at Brighton Beach could
NOT he held on the lines mapped out before the
-aesape of the Agnew-Hart bills. -Four stakes
| Ibic, would have been run at the fan meeting ana
which closed yesterday were declared oIl lhcluu-
| ing the Triumph and Undergraduate stakes, the
soasbore Handicap and the Chantilly Steeplechase
1t was also decided to ask owners for a release on
tho contracts made for the stakes to be decided
al The summer meeting in July in case 1t should be
| ,acessarv 10 modify or Withdraw them, and to
| cover this the following letter has been addressed
| ia those who made entries to the closed events:
, The recent repeal of the Percy-Gray law has
made it doubtful whether racing can be continued
| in the state of New York on the nigh plane when
| il has occupied for many years This assoclatlon
| snort alive and with that end in view We ask
You assist us by signing the IncoSed consSit sif
| permitting should necessity arise 10 lhool5y
or Withdraw any stakes of this association already
| closed
| The release that asked to sign follows
The undersigned. having entered horse or
| horses for competition In one or more stare races
| advertised by the Brighton Beach Racing Assoca-
tiOn under certain conditions heTey consents Iia
the said association may cancel sald SIdhS IdCtS
| or modify the terms or conditions OF said stak
races on m condtions Of said stakes or any or either
| of them be modified the said asSoclatlon sfa re
! proportion to the reduction OF the amount to be
| added by the said association IN SAID stakes or
such of them as may be reduced
Mr. Fitzgerald said in discussing this action:
There's of incurring obligations which can
not be fulfilled but if the horsemen will cooperate
the brighton Beach Racing Association will off
| the best meeting possible under the existing con-
ditions | am satisfied that the horsemen will lend
| their aid. this is the time when We must stand
| together for the good of the sport