The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-03

Sealed bids for the stake will be re
ceived by the commission from various
associations up 10 and including March
|. 1912. No bid of less than $4,000 VIII
be entertained by the commission
The following rule which is 10 he
over thirty DAYS before final action, WAS
offered:
"Any one guilty Of making hand
book on the grounds Of any racing as
sociation licensed by this commission
luring any race meeting thereof shall
be elected from the grounds and any
owner. trainer, Jockey or other person
interested in any horse or horses at SAID
race meeting who shall be guilty OIL
betting with or through any such hand
book shall be elected from tho grounds,
and the license of such persons who are
licensed by this commission shall be
revoked.
In 1907. $2,5o0,O00, in 1911, 0. Such Is
the turf history. estimated IN dollars,
of this state in its epoch making years,
In the former year the last under the
Percy-Gray law, which permitted bet
ting on the racetracks in the Empire
state, two and half millions of dol
lars were distributed by the various
racetracks to owners, In the latter
wear, under the anti-public betting laws.
not dollar was offered by the racing
associations. All racctrack gates were
closed With the exception of few
amateur racing meetings, when, the
prizes were made up largely of gold and
silver cups and plates, not thorough
bred raced.
This was not the only loss of dollars.
Tho state S treasury suffered TO the eN-
tent of S257 ,000--the amount of the hVe
per cent tax levied in 1907.
Good Old Times Gone.
The wear 1907 marked the zenith
of the turf IS popularity; 1911 was its
worst season, With the sport at its
highest pinnacle the average daily at.
tendance WAS 5000 with the record
crowd Of 10000 at the Belmont park
track on Decoration day. These race
goers paid in admissions nearly $4,000
900 to the various racing associations
that held meetings under the Jurlsdlc-
ton of the Jockey club. During the
season conservative bookmakers estl-
mated that Sl2,0o0,000 changed hands
In bets.
The owners of race horses were not
the only persons that suffered from no
racing. The Long Island railroad, which
carried the greater number of race.So-
ers during the year 1907, lost in patron.
age this season, estimated on the fare
receipts of the big year, $3.50, 900. The
.
in proportion.
Breeders and rich patrons Of the sport
did not win a dollar with their race
borsos. The slump in the winning of
tho big stables was tremendous. From
100000 won in 1907, the largest sum
ever earned by racing stable the
world over, James K. Keene's thorough
breds did not capture a cent. Harry
Payne Whitney's string, a big factor In
l.. hot A Sf RnI
mont, S. c.. Hildreth. Gen. Stephen
Sanford, John Il. Madden and other
prominent owners shared the same fate.
Some of the Hildreth aud Belmont
horses won q few dollars on the tracks
outside this state, but the Whitney and
Keeue racers were shipped to England
The shutting down OF the tracks
was a severe financial blow to the OWL
ers of the big stables. Each had train
ers and Jockeys under contracts at. u
big salaries. from $4,000 for the train
ers to $4,000 to the Jockeys. As the
horses had to be fed aud stable hands
paid. each stable by the suspension OF
the sport cost its owner nearly $4,000.
The owners were saved in the matter
of forfeits for the simple reason that
no stakes were opened, and this item Of
expense in other years was cut of.
The greatest blow was handed out to
tine DrBEOCTS, hlIu NCW j OTh on luS
racing map, the value of thoroughbred
yearlings dropped from an average
price Of $4,000 TO less than 800. The
old price of $4,000 so frequently paid
for yearIings in tho halcyon days Of
the turf, was never reached, $4,000 be
ing big sum for the stars Of the
sales
Occasionally two-year or three-year
old horses that had proved their worth.
fn1,. q
but the yearliDgs sold for the proverb
ial song. AS a result nearly all of the
stud farms of America practically went
out of business.
Matt Bvrne, horscman. who recently
returned from Bueuos Ayres. predicts
long AMI brilliant future for the rae
ing game in the South American rcpub
lie. where he says the king of sports
is enjoying great prosperity now.
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