Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-30
SURPRISES ARE
ORDER OF DAY
GOOD THINGS CONTINUE TO
GET THE COIN
Horsemen, lmbued with Idea That
This Is Getaway Season in Cali
fornia, Taking Desperate
Chances with Judges
RACING
BY JAY DAVIDSON

NOF1I0S ndQ TOugn SleQGlnS because the
sleepers had to cash, and while there
were only six opportunities for the
aforesaid sleepers, half dozen Of
them got away with the kale. The
cactus nominees went through with
out a wobble and indications to the
effect that this is a getaway meeting
were corroborated in every race. Horse
men are holder now than formerly, be-
cause the prospect that racing will be
killed in California is so good that the
faint-hearted have no heart at all,
makes it easier for them to uncover
their good things and get away with
1T, because the judges are afraid to
make move at this time. In other
words, horsenen are saying to the
judges, What are you going to do
about it?'
Interference with the sport has
wrecked it, and those who have horses
are going after the money with the
recklessnec that brooks no dispute.
Horses are winning now that never
he a chance and while the outlook
is gloomy, the weakened promoters
will have nobody to blame but them
selves if the game is closed because of
the cheating operations that are con-
Quoted in the scare caused by the fear
that the anti-racing bill will have the
same fate in the senate that it had in
the house. Now is the time to make
history, but everybody seems afraid.
he manner in which a few owners are
getting away with some rough stuff out
at Santa Anita is sufficient argument
against the game. Those charged with
the protection of the sport seem pow
,crleSS or Weak-Spined and the foes of
racing are getting fresh arguments ev-
cry day against the sport because the
acute situation permits such stuff to be
pulled off.
There was no feature Of the card
yesterday, as it was Friday and the
day preceding stake day. The selling
platers had it all to themselves and the
brackets were handed around where
they would do the most good. Adriu-
che, which never had shown the Slight
est disposition to beat the kind that
she won from yesterday, won the
fourth race to the eternal surprise or
all who witnessed the affair, doing the
seven furlongs in 1:25 3-5, beating
Dennis Stafford, John Carroll, Centre
Shot and Fleming, all of which out
classed her any time there was any
leveling done. This much is on the
level.
The towards in the game and the
crooks are lining up together and are
doing things that the integrity of the
sport will not stand for and only be-
cause those Sin authority are unwilling
to take any chances now of stirring up
scandal by forcing horses to run to
form or quit running at all is the state
of affairs at Santa Anita getting so
bold that the ordinary porch climber
would be an amateur in comparison
with some of the operations pulled off
in the last week or ten days. The
judges should be more particular now
than at any other time and if they were
more particular a lot of good things
would fail to cash and the public would
get a better run for it's money. A few
things have been pulled off in the last
week that would be sufficient argu-
ment against the game forever and it
is high time that it was stopped-or
the game will be stopped.
There is some talk around the track
that Red Walker will ship his entire
string to EmeryVille in a few days.
The patrons of the sport who have at
tended thesIneeting this winter will hear
this news with considerable pleasure
This is one stable that has done more
to turn the general public against rae
ing than all others combined, as the
form TeverSdls which Walker has got
away with this season are so numerous
and so glaring that he would be lucky
if he got away in time to ship to
Emeryville if the situation was not so
barn, excepting Stanley Fay, that has
run a formful race this season the long
suffering public that always-without
eXception-has lost on races in which
he has had an entry will be highly de-
lighted to know it.
Walker is not the only one who has
been guilty of these transactions which
have skinned the general, patronizing
public. There are others who are as
deep in the mire as himself, and that is
saying a heap But they have got
away with it, and because the legisla-
ture is in session and a few horsemen
have taken the desperate chance Of
putting over their sleepers in the belief
that everything would be overlooked
The Henry stable, r. L. Thomas, T. H.
Stevens and the Texas bunch have
been getting away with a lot of stuff
that would have directed attention to
their operations in any other season
than that in which the legislature is in
session. Many jokes have been perpe-
trated upon the public at Santa Anita
this winter, and it is a shame upon the
official staff that the horsemen have
been able to do things under the stress
of excitement and fear caused by the
action of the house in voting upon the
anit-racing bill has caused.
Only a glance over the form chart
of the last month is necessary to con-
vince the best friend that racing can
own in this section of the state that
the privilege is being abused and that
the officials in control of the sport are
lacking in that firmness and discipline
which is necessary to make a good
argument in favor of the sport. Those
who want to see the sport of kings
perpetuated in California blush nearly
every time a number is hung out on
the board to indicate the one-two-three
horses in the races this season and it
is high time that those who are in
authority and are paid salaries for
holding their jobs are looking ahead of
themselves and elevating the sport by
inflicting that discipline which is neces-
Sary to compel-not require-horses to
run to form and nullify the arguments
of the opponents of racing by reason
of the formful races that are run dur
ing this meeting. How many favorites
have won in the last month?
1t is time for somebody to wake up.
cast aside the petty quarrels between
the square all the time that it exists
If this is not done there will be few,
except the salary grabbers, who will
be disappointed at the action of the
legislature in putting the sport on the
ban. With every official at the track
a foreigner, so far as California is
concerned, all the money going in a
common stream to the foreign pocket
and plain grand larceny being COM
mitted on the track every day in the
results of races, it looks like it was
high time for somebody to wake up
and take a chance on doing right.