Evening star., 1924-01-24

| Betting is permitted on the races.
and the bookmaking is done within
1 the paddock inclosure Women are
not permitted in the paddock. but
! the fair ones congregate just outside
the entrance and send their commits
SionS INTO the betting ring. They are
among the greatest DlungerS on the
races, and apparently are very keen
about the sport
Some of the books being made on
! the races would make the old-time
boolzies of Sheepshead Bay and Nor
ris Park water a [ the mouth. The
Percentage in favor of the bookies
| must be something tremendous For
, noon, in field of eight starters.
there was 3to2 favorite. a 2-to-l
second choice, two third choices at
B to /, fourth choice at 4 to /, fifth
choice at to /, with no better than
8 to ] offered against the outsiders.
which way the cat, or rather the
dogs, jumped.
Unique Betting System.
The betting system is unique. Yc.
don't bet at all You buy an interest
in the race. The little card you get
with small chance of ever oashing
it in-certifies that the holder or
bearer Of this ticket is entitled to an
approximate interest of the purses.
prizes or premiums. if any. earned by
that certain dog named Hambone to
be run in race No. 5. the colors OF
which dog are blue, said dog to be
run on this date
The writer plunged on Hambone,
Hambone wasn't out for the soup.
Let the description of the race. writ
ten by the chart keeper, tell the sad
story. Here it is:
Rush Reuben drew clear of the field
to a good lead. just outgamed Checker
Bill to win. Latter closed gap enter
ing stretch, and challenged winner i'll
final drive. Red Raven closing strong.
unfinished Hambone for third.
Hambone. having failed, the writer
tried to recoup on Blue Jay in the next
| race. Blue Jay is a blue greyhound.
1t was the first blue greyhound the
writer had ever seen, hence the hunch.
but once more let the chart tell the
bad news:
! Cruta Foda (whoeyer heard of a dog
named like that?) showed improvement,
came on the rail. entering the stretch
with a burst of speed, challenging the
leader to win going away. The Mystery
set the pace. but was outrun in the
final drive. Took place without conten-
ton Sitting Bull, closing strong, was
easily third. Blue Jay forced the early
pace, but went wide in the stretch. Buff
left at the post.
Treated just Like Race Horses.
The dogs are treated just like race
horses and are handled with the same
seriousness. They have their warm
ing-up gallops, their trainers and
their grooms. When the bugle sounds
at post time, they are led upon the
track in leash and paraded before the
grandstand and judges. Then they
are taken to the starting boxes. Each
dog has a box, but there is a common
gate in front. Leashes are removed
and the shrinking hounds are showed
into the narrow boxes or stalls. The
foolish buff" that got left at the
around in his stall. and was headed
the wrong way when the barrier was
sprung and the shout went up,
They're off"
Naturally the question arises, What
We're they off aftero That is the cut
est part of the whole game. The dogs
chase stuffed rabbit. He is mounted
on a wheel, which runs on a single
steel track all around the race course.
There is an arm from the rabbit TO
the outer track fence, where an cleo
tric motor propels the contraption.
The rabbit is given a good start. He
goes forward in leaps and bounds, and
his pace is controlled by a man sit
ting in a tower. Just beyond the
finishing post there is a switch, and
when the race is done the rabbit dis
chag grin of the poor, foolish hounds.
One day recently one of the dogs
caught the blooming rabbit just be-
yond the finish and nipped on one OF
his funny stuffed legs
DOWNRIGHT 1924