New-York tribune., 1918-02-10
Red Cross viii Gather
Haruest From 19I8Racinp
Yield for This Year Expected
to Reach a Total Of
$75O,OOO

Baltimore, Feb. 9.-Last yes,,.
ing contributions in money tn -
American and Canadian Red ~ .as
funds amounted to the sub.t,n.;sss r's
total of about 100000. No res,,., A''a
curate record was kept. For n. '
part the money was collected ' ~
hazard. 'p'
Racetracks East and West h.a
frequent intervals their Red cr..
days, days when free lists were .n.
pended and everybody paid a. y.
gates, and gross receipts were tun..
in to the nearest Red Cross treasu,s.
Thousands Of dollars were generos,l.
given at railroad stations and on ~,
ley cars to attractive young vsu.,
uniformed as Red Cross collector ),
individual patrons of the sport. T..
ging prevailed in epidemic form a. ~
tracks, and many tags brought fam,
prices.
$4,000 From Laurel Park
Moreover, many tracks--East ana
West-made substantial donations
apart from the yield of their Red C,os.
! days. Laurel Park. which sent s5Aoo
to the treasurer Of the National Red
Cross in Washington early in Noyem.
Der, was one of these. Horsemen
wealthy and otherwise, made freouen,
donations of purses won by their fave.
rite fliers.
The most considerable contributions
of this sort were made by August Bel.
mont, chairman of the Jockey Club Of
J New York, and Kenneth Alexander. =
young Kentuckian. who has been sery.
! ing with an ambulance unit on tn.
French front these two years. Mr.
Belmont handed over in its entirety
the $4,000 purse his great three-year.
old HouTless won at Laurel Park in
! October, when he defeated the no les,
celebrated three-year-old Omar Khay.
yam. in the most brilliant match ract
between thoroughbreds in American
racing history.
Mr.. Alexander handed over tn,
$1,000 earned by his smart two.yesr
old Escoba when Escoba defeated
Papp and several other smart two
year-olds in the Breeders Futurity, al
Lexington, in September.
These contributions were gratefully
received by the Red Cross. Because o.
them, some of the stanchest Of the
friends of racing and of the thorough
bred are to be found now among ths
officers of the various Red Cross asso
Citations Of the United States and Can.
ada.
And the Red Cross will have greater
cause to be grateful to racing at the
end of the season of 1918. For this
year. unless the signs are misleading,
racing's yield to the Red Gross will
ably exceed that sum. Fer this yea
racing viii make its collections sys
tematically. Everybody connected wit
the sport, which is recognized by a
thinking men as an indispensable in
dustry-also, because it is by racin
that thoroughbred blood, which is in
dispensable in the military horse,
| maintained in unimpaired excellens
and improved-will DO his Bit.
Voluntary Contributions
/ These contributions will be volur
tary, the willing offerings of sto,s
holders of tracks that are already psy
ing heavy war taxes, OF owners, .
trainers, of jockeys, of breeders 0
thoroughbreds, who, being unable t
render active service atield or ados
are anxious to do what they may 70
the gallant youngsters who brave riff
and shell fire and poisonous gas s.
tacks in France and Italy and drown
ing in icy seas.
The system OF collection that will b
put in effect in Kentucky in May
starting at Churchill Downs unde
the direction of former Mayor Chars
F. Granger OF Louisville and Colons
Matt Winn, manager Of the Church,
Downs track, also of the Empire Git
and Laurel Park courses, probably
will be followed in New York snd
Maryland in the summer and autumn
and at the winter tracks IN November
and December.
The New York tracks. however, hav
not decided yet Just how .hey will &c
their money. Their several manage
ments are awaiting the return fror
France of Mr.. Belmont, who is nov
major in the National Army, befor
tdhiilS lilt matter up.
In Kentucky 10 per cent will be De
Quoted from the gross receipts frol
all sources of ali tracks, and to II
sums realized in this fashion will
added 10 per cent Of all stakes an
purses. The directors Of the tracs
at Churchill Downs. Lexington. Lat
MIA and Douglass Park have agreed
accept the arrangement as regart
,r>&f
the 10 per cent take-oF clause. as II
CARDS purses. into the conditions
their races with the unanimous consel
of the horscmen who Will race VII
them.
Moreover. the purses in Kentues
; this year will be as great as they We
:. of Derby at Churchill Downs TIL
paid its winner-Omar Khayysm-
$4,000; of Derby at Latonia thu
paid its winner-Liberty Loan--s9.bs
of Kentucky Handicap at Dougls'
Park that paid its winner--King Cor
-Sl2,2O0. and of Breeders Futufl'
at Lexington that paid It's winnsI-
Escoba-s7.000.
Expect to Raise $260,O00
The yield Of the spring and 10
meetings in Kentucky TO the Red orS'
fund under this arrangement vii!
according to the estimate of Colon
Winn, about s26o0OO. Churchill Dosal
the most literally patronized OF =
, tracks of the Blue Grass State. v, "
contribute between S2,700 and $Sp.
daily. Latonia and Douglass Park y. VI
contribute nearly as much, and Lexin'
ton viii make creditable showing.
To the 100000 that Will be contn
uted to the Red Cross By the rae
tracks Of Latonia, Churchill DOVE
Douglass Park and Lexington and
the participating horsemen VIII
added $4,000 or more that will be "