The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-02
Law Makes Owners of Horses
Personally Liable for Bet
ting on Tracks.
PUTS ORGANIZED MEETS
OUT AFTER FORTY YEARS
Military Races to Be Held in
Fail; Henry NJ. Jones Gives
Suggestions.
BY JAMES DocKERALL.

By Leased Wire 30 The Tribune.
NEW YORK, April Ito the law
which makes the owners of race tracks
personally liable in criminal actions for
betting on the tracks is attributable
the fact that this year for the first
time in forty years there will be no
regularly organized racing on the great
race tracks about this city, Belmont
park one Of the most magnificent
courses under the sun, the building
whereof cost matter OF S2,500.00O;
beautiful Sheepshead Bay. the home or
the Conev Island Jockey club; Graves.
end, Aqucduct, Empire City, Jamaica
and Saratoga association, will not open
their gates,
There will he no Carter handicap. no
Excelsior, no Metropolitan. no Brooklyn,
no Suburban. The Futuritv will be de
clared of. as viii The Lawrence Real,
ization, the Century. the Brooklyn
Derby, the Empire City and Saratoga
handicaps and thc Saratoga cup,
The Jockey club has made no effort
TO secure remedial legislation at AL.
bany, but it is understood that up the
state Democrats have prepared bills,
the object of which is 10 nullify the
most Objectionable feature Of the last
batch of Governor Hughes laws, and
er moment: to present them.
May Not Be Effective.
Whether such legislation would Sc
cure favorable consideration is purely
doubtful proposition. But it is pointed
out in some quarters that the sitting
legislature could not better show that
it represents the sentiment of the peo.
pie of New York as well as the interest
of the agricultural and urban popula-
tion than by relieving racing of the
onerons burden imposed upon it in the
two administrations of Governor
Hughes. who is now justice of the
United States supreme court.
Sir Frank Newnes of London, who
has been on visit here, was asked if
it would be possible to carry through
parliament legislation directly or indi.
rectly hostile to racing.
"Impossible, - said he "In the first
place every Englishman, high or low,
loves horse, and legislation you men
tion would be regarded as an interfer-
ence with his love for the horse. AS
for the anti betting laws in force in
New York state, no government would
attempt to promulgate them. Such leg
islation would be regarded as viola
tion of personal liberty
Henry NJ. Jones. the Kentucky horse
man, says concerning trotting and pac-
ing contests:
"'Thc most glaring and disastrous evil
in present racing conditions and provi
sions is the fact that in sll early clos
ing events they allow one horse, which
happens to outclass the field, to win
the lion g share Of all the feature events
through the entire circuit and very fire.
quently without any struggle.
Too Much Circus.
"Why have so many racing associa-
tions been changed to fair associations,
with all the adjuncts of circus, side
show and minstrel, with racing as a side
issue7 Because the conditions and pro-
visions of their early closing events,
first of which contains the names of
the giants Of the turf winch presup-
poses a battle royal, have converted the
big stake into hippodrome farce so
often that the grand stand is empty.
Why is it that with twenty-five to fifty
nominations there are only six or seven
startersl
'' Because these same conditions and
provisions prevail in every race, and the
winner outclasses them, and no provi-
sion TO equallze by haudlcapning Con-
sequently the owner pockets the loss Of
all payments, and TO the half-mile track
| they go.
| There will be military races in the
autumn at the United Hunts meetings
of New York and Maryland, at Rose
Tree, at Joseph e. Widener's private
meeting and probably at Sheepshead
Bay. Belmont Park and wherever there
are two, one of them will be steeple-
chase. Uncle Sans officers ride we'll
and there are few who are not as good
in the steeplechase field as on the flat
| Mr.. Jones suggests that all big purses
of $4,000 and $4,000 should be divided
equally for race and its handicap for
the horses entered in a slow class, say
2:20, s,.ould be at least eight seconds
so that the purse Of, say $4,000. should
be divided between horses eligible to
2:20 and 2:12 classes. Continuing, he
says:
| "Have nominations close at certain
date, with horses eligible to the 2:20
class to be accepted Fifteen days prior