The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-23
GOSSIP or The RACETUACK
EASTERN CIWP4IGN OPENS Ar
BENNINGS rms AFTERNOON.
Ca,anaEh special Traln Carries Enthusi'
astle Crowd Of HOrsemen 10 the Scene
NJ Action Crusade Against POOlrOOms
10 BE Resumed-Entries for To-day.

An aboard for Benningsl" 4 big gateman
In tbe Pennsylvania Railroad depot over In
Jersey City let out this slogan a few minutes
after ? o'clock yesterday afternoon and
nearly q thousand turfmen Of all grades and
Glasses proceeded TO climb into the numerous
Pullmans which made up the Cayanagh
special train. II was a merry crowd that
landed In the huge terminal from the ferry
boats between I and ? O'Clock, John Cava-
naRh, whom thousands VI turf patrons know
a. the man who Ia master Of the speculative
pavilions" on the Eastern racetraoks and who
represents the public when countless dis
.putes arise with the chalkers, was on Jersey
soil shortly after the noon hour. With him
were George Smith. his able lieutenant, who
answers probably a billion questions during
each racing season, always With patience
and good nature. Mortimer Mahoney, always
hustling and the personal representative OF
CAvanaeh on the second circuit John 7, Nor
ton. once a noted amateur athlete. but now
The Official announcer Of the races In the bet
ting ring. and 4 half dozen other retainers
who me always busy around a racetrack.
II vas a case of Hello, John! How have
YOU been all winter" from the time the frst
Of the delegation for Washington arrived at
the depot until Cayanagh gave the signal 10
The conductor that all we're present or ac-
counted for. In the crowd were Pinkerton
men. who will wear uniforms or street clothes
as the case maybe. owners Of crack thorough
breds and owners OF cheap platers who e1-
uect 10 win a little feed money. Jockeys Of all
kinds. including While shaw, Tommy Burns,
Iamer and others who have been exercising
horses al the Long Island tracks for the last
three weeks. bookmakcrs with fat bank rolls
and Others with shocstrings, sheet writer's,
cashiers. runners. checkers, stable men and a
resimcri NJ trainers. aud last but not least
many confirmed horse players who have been
resting here all winter but who always begin
pirhin. and backing supposed winners as
soon a. he hugle sounds AT Benninas.
For an hour before the long train pulled
out Of the station the crowd stood in front
o thp gates discussing the situation generally.
The word was passed around that there
would positively he no interference with the
betting by the District OF Columbia au-
thorities for the reason that the walk around
system nj bookmaking had been declared
legal by Judge stafford and that the Corpora
ton Counsel Of the District a. late as Satur-
day declared that there was no ground upon
which arrests " walkabout bookmakers
could be- made.
IT'S punishment enough TO he compelled
10 walk around on The lawn all The afternoon
with no chance 10 rest on a stool, said a
corpulent bookmaker who went through
the mill At Bennings last fall, without being
arrested and lugged on TO the jug.
The situation at Albany was also widely
discussed, and while few could speak with
any real information II was the prevailing
opinion that as soon as the Agnew-Hart bill
was dissccted In the Senate and the fact was
A.t-.-I tl.t ..,,VItpU IN ID WypF N G.
Percy and others it discriminates in favor OF
the poolrooms. the bill would not be enacted
into law and that racing would not be Killed
uulrigh',
Those who have been on the ground a week
or ten days have sent word here from Ben
pinRs that q greater number OF horses will
he stabbed there during the next twenty
DAYS than ever before. Also that the racing,
from present indications. will prove OF a
higher quality than In the past. Bennlngs,
il has often been said, is an admirable place
for horses TO spend the winter and then get
into condition for the more important cam
paigu on tho metropolitan tracks, which opens
al Adueduct on April IS. John +. Madden,
for instance, decided r couple Of years ago
that Bpnnings was the best winter resort
for his valuable racing stable. and during
the winter just ending he had all OF his horses
there. including the famous Nalvidere. King
James and Dandelion, together with about
thirty wo-ycar- colds bred by him at Ham
burg llacc.
As Madden raced some OF his two-year-olds
At Renuings last spring II IL believed that ne
will introdU 90 a number Of his youngsters to
the public during the meeting which PRONE
isss - begin auspiciously this afternoon.
But Madden will probably keep Salvldere,
II n..1.IgA, - Nka harm nANt1
the time comes to go after some Of the rich
prl7cs on the big tracks in this vicinity. II
NAV DO that Madden, however, will carry
O rthe lions llareof the two-year. old honors,
but If hp dos II will he for the reason that
he has An exc sptionable lot Of colts and hlles,
for when they are sent to the post they will
meet. # Is ssid. some Of the best young horses
that have ever faced the starter on the WASH
ington track
The racing II enninRs will be In the hands
OF the usual competent officials. Mars Cas-
sidy, after a long winter campaign at New
Orleans. will handle the barrier as usual
Clarence Mcdowell viii - thc presiding
Judge, assisted by Joseph 4, Murphy, who
will also be Handicapped. II, q. Cnckmore
viii be the clerk Of rhe scales, while :. S. How
land will represent the Jockey Gut in the
stewards stand.
Beginning to-day the Jockey Club will
q renew It's fight to suppress the poolrooms.
The PinkerUons have received instructions
TO preserve q censorship over the telegraph
and telephone wires inside the racetrack and
a.so to make IL next 10 impossible for pool
room agents 20 see from the outside Of the
enclosure any Of the details Of the sport. SO
strict will the surveillance be that the Pin
terton men. headed by Capt. Duhain, said
yesterday that there would be positively no
information for the poolrooms and that those
who have been doing business in this city all
winter would Ell her have 10 keep on with
New Orleans or close their doors. With the
shift TO Aqueduo will come increased vigil
ance on the part Of the racetrack police to
shut OF the desired information. The Jockey
Club will spend an unlimited amount. II ia
said. to practically close the poolroomsfo for
seven months. provided, Of course, the Az
new-Hart bill at Albany Ia defeated. But
in the event Of its passage there would prob
ably be a relaxation on the part OF the race
track governors, which would make the task
NJ providing poolroom information as 10 the
races at foreign tracks comparatively easy.
The liberal patronage Of the stakes to be
run this year at Empire City caused much
favorabls oomment yesterday. II will be
remembered that when James Butler and
Matt ]. VIM ~inaugurated their meeting at
Yonkers last August they had TO depend
wholly upon Western horsemen and a few
fearless Eastern owners to provide sport for
the public. But with a favorable decision
rom the Court Of Appeals Empire City.
together with Messrs. Butler and VIM. was
- rT,.kta n - ~ ntNata