South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-14
"BOOKIES" STILL
REAP Bic CROP
FROM RACE FANS
Gotham Operators Are Giving
Very Small Odds to BettorS
at New York Track Dur
ing Present Season.
By Frank &. NIenke.

NEW YORK. July IA. - The
"bookies" who operate under owe
on the New York race tracks these
days are reaping a golden harvest.
They are Offering the smallest odds in
the history OF the turf game-and they
are getting away with it.
Rarely a race is run that has less
than seven or eight entries that does
not have an odds-on favorlte. odds
OF IL, 1-3, IA, 81, 81, 80. %. 40.
40 and $40 are so frequent that
they no longer excite comment. If
the gambling element refused to bet
at such odds the "bOOkies". undOubt-
eddy. would boost them and give fair
er odds. But the boob public doesn't
balk, no matter what the odds, and
the "bOokies" are operating on "A sure
winning basis.
Even the odds offered against rank
outsiders are extremely low. which
makes IL a certainty for the boOkies
that they will come out ahead no mat
ter which horse rOmps home ahead.
Cleaning for -Bookies."
Just a short time ago an animal
named High Horse went TO the post
a 3-5 favorite-and ne was left at the
post. Dune Site won the race at 4 10
land he had almost no backing.
Hi0h Horse was backed up with tens
of thousands. practically all of which
became velvet" for the "bookies."
During one OF the races at aqueduCt
a man bet $500 on Bromo TO win and
$500 on Hands OFF for place. BromO
won: Hands OF finished third, and
although this man was on the winning
horse he suffered a net loss of S2Z5 on
both bets. BrOmO won at II 10 20,
giving the gambler a profit of $2T5 on
BTOmO, but he lost 5000 on Hands or.
on another occasion a man bet SEQ
or a horse TO win, 500 on nOthe
horse for place and 500 on another
for show. Tho first two horses won
hut the man lost money. The odds on
the winner were IL. the odds on the
placS horse were 2-5. That meant a
profit OF $50 on the winning horse
and $40 more on the second place
horse. n total of $50. But the man
lost 500 on the horse a had fail
ed 10 show.
Oi vol. vat a fine bizness,
Ma Raise Limit.
The racing associations throughout
the country may decide at a meeting
this winter to raise the weight limit
for Jockeys. thus enabling some of
the greatest jockeys in the world to
race again on the American tracks.
The low weight limit rule in force
in this country has driven some of the
greatest jockeys In the world from the
American turf. just about IS soon as
an apprentice becomes a full-hedged
Jockey his riding days-as far as the
American turf are concerned-are
over. The weight limit is so low that
only n rare few jockeys past is years
of age can meet It. despite strenuous
weight reducing exercise.
The result has been that apprentice
iockeys-mere children in years-are
almost in the majority on the Ameri-
can turf. The weight limit being so
low the horse owners cannot hire eX-
pCTiencCd jockeys, unless they are
featherweights. and must trust their
horses 10 apprentices or newly grad-
uated jockeys.
some Rad Racing.
This condition has brought some
bad racing and some fearful handling
of horses. The apprentices young in
years, and younger still in morse
knowledge. have handled horses poor
~. and because of their bad handing
send many a good horse down 10 de-
feat.
The various racing associations
throughout the country have become
alive = this condition. Also they re-
member that the low weight limits. in
the heydev Of racing in this country.
forced from h American tracks
some of the best Jockeys the turf
the racing game shows signs Of com
ing back to real life they don't want
the good Jockeys ruled off the turf
because they weigh a few pounds more
than the law prescribes.