New-York tribune., 1908-06-12
WILL CONTINUE RACING
GLOOM AMONG HORSEMEN.
Effort May Be Made to Place
Wneers Under Credit System.

| Racing will be continued for the time being.
| at least. even though shorn of the pettlns as
conducted for the last ten years uhoer 'h
| Percy-Gray law, according 70 nuH'oer u
| prominent racing men who were at ufa'esenu
| Yesterday No official announcement couu o
obtained concerning the plans for the future Vi
| those IN control of the sport. but Schuyler far
| sons one OF the directors Of the Coney isidii"
| Jockey Club, said that 30 far as ne khe" 'ho
| meeting at Sheepshead Bay. wh1eh peslhs oii
| Friday would be conducted according 10 the
| programme already outlined Andrew Miiler'
one Of the officials of the Saratoga Racing Asso-
ciation said he could not speak offlciany' pue no
believed that the meeting at Saratoga would oe
| held In spite Of the new law against gamonns'
None of the officials of the Brighton Beach
Racing Association was at the track, put 1t ""s
| said on good authority that the meetihe aI
/ Brighton Beach. which follows that at sheeps-
| head Bay, would be held, although IN all prop
| ability the overnight purses "ouiu po ~ ~
minimum.
Gloom settled over the Gravesend track yester-
day when the news became general that the
anti.betting bills had been passed. the racing
went on as usual, but there was less enthusiasm
than on any other day this season, and the ma
jority of those present appeared to be far more
interested in talking over the adverse lesisia-
ton than in what was going on In the ring OF
on the track. The depression was intenslned'
for there had been q feeling Of confidence that
the bills would be beaten and for that reason
the shock those Interested in the sport falriy
stunned. In the clubhouse Enclosure, where tnose
most closely identified with racing gathered
men went around with glnm faces. and there was
hardly a smile to be seen during the whole
afternoon.
SEE BLOW TO BREEDING INDUSTRY.
Some horsemen were optimistic enough to ex-
press the opinion that a way could be devised
fI,o fha
of betting, on the ground that it would be a
difficult matter to obtain a conviction under the
new law. Others saw no hope, and contended
that the death knell of racing had been sounded
in this state, well as the complete and utter
ruin of the thoroughbred breeding Industry In
the country. which depends SO largely on the
market for horses in this state.
There can be conception for the time be-
ing of the frightful depreciation in values that
will follow if the law brings about the end
of racing as 1t looks to me as if It would, said
one we'll known breeder. Horses that We're
worth $4,000 will not command $1,000, while
horses which were worth $1,000 VIII go begging
for 5000 or $500. if not less. 1t means the loss
of several million dollars, in my opinion, while
thousands of men will be thrown out Of employ
ment."
Out In the paddock the trainers appeared to
be more affected by the news than anybody
else and a buer lot of would have been
hard to find. They saddled their horses for the
various races in a perfunctory way and acted
as if they had lost their last friend. Many of
them had few hard things to say. but nothing
that had any particular bearing on the situation.
Some were disposed to be cynically humorous,
and one of them, addressing friend remarked:
Il want to apply as a trainer for your game
chickens" The answer came quick and sharp:
Sorry, old boy, but I'm going to eat those
chickens now
In the ring the layers did business in the usual
way for probably the last time. They. too,
were gloomy lot, and could see no way for
continuing unless they went into the poolroom
business as one of them said. The credit sys
tenn of betting discussed. but there seemed
to be feeling that 1t would not work as well
here as It does in England. If it could be worked
at all, owing to the difficulty of establishing
credit and of making bets when the credit was
established. This applies, of course to the rank
and file of racegoers.
Down and out! Beaten head on the post
was the curt reply OF well known layer
when asked his opinion of the situation. When
pressed for opinion the credit system of
betting he said THAT method would be all |
right far the big operators concerned. |
but I don't how the small bettors could be |
accommodated, and for that reason I do not |
believe the plan would work. 1t is hard to tell |
however until it has been tried"
HoRSEMEN ON THE OUTLOOK
John E. Madden said: Racing now ceases to |
be business and becomes sport to which |
a friend quickly replied, Racing now ceases |
to be a business and becomes joke
Schuyler Parsons who returned yesterday |
from short trip abroad in order to be on hand |
for the opening of the spring meeting at Sleeps |
head Bay, could not say what action the Coney
Island Jockey Club would take, but in his
opinion the meeting would be conducted as |
usual, whether there any betting or not
He intimated that there might be a reduction |
in the amount of money added to the overnight
races but that the stakes would have to be run
off as arranged, no matter what happened.
F. r. Hitchcock, president of the Saratoga
Racing Association, and Andrew Miller, secre-
tary and treasurer. expressed the opinion that |
of the fact that the association was not called
clause had been inserted the entry blanks
multiplying the contract in case of adverse Iegis-
lation. Mr. Miller said: Speaking for myself
I am strongly in favor of holding the meeting
and not showing the white feather. This is a
hard blow to racing, but I believe that it will
survive, the sport is too good to be lost to
those who find much pleasure in it"
P. J. Dwyer, president OF the Brooklyn Jockey
Club and the Queens County Jockey Club would
not express opinion to the outlook but
said that the meeting at Grevesend would be
continued to the end without any change and
that much would depend upon the success of |
the meetings at Sheepshead Bay and Brighton
Beach as to what the plans would be for the
meetings at Gravesend and Aqueduct.
Algernon Dangerfield. assistant secretary of |