Evening star., 1927-11-03
KENTUCKY RACE
BETTING AT STAKE
G. o. P. Supporters Threaten
to Move Derby if Democrats
Elect Governor.
BY OWEN l.. SCOTT.

| D1 Wv EXN As SNU1l.
Special Dispatch to The Star
LOUISVILLE, KY, November 81
| 'Hoss" racing. that ancient and hon.
orable Kentucky sport. suddenly has
! it's home State by the ears and tied
| in knots over that vital question
whether to bet or not to bet when
this betting is placed on an organized
| business basis.
Candidates for governor are coming
down the home stretch in the hottest
political race this State has seen in
years, run largely on that question.
And the Democrats figure that their
candidate, former Gov. J. c. w. Beck.
ham, will win in a walk when they
cross the finish line in next Tues
days election. He opposes specially
privileged race track gambling.
Threaten to Move Derby.
But the Republicans, running Judge
Flem D. Sampson. supported by the
powerful Kentucky Jockey Club, have
| a different slant. They are them
selves in a race for self-preservation.
and are threatening to shut up shop
| and take the Kentucky Derby to Chi
| cago il Beckham wins. That prospect,
they feel, will cause a majority to
vote for Sa ampson.
Everybody, Democrat and Repub-
lican alike, is friend to the Kentucky
thoroughbred. They're all proud of
the States horsef1esh royalty. And
nobody kicks about a continuance of
the sport of kings. But the Democrats
are out to break what they term an
iron grip which the rich Kentucky
Jockey Club has taken on State poll
tics. Before striking at pari.mutuel
,etting-organized race track betting
they hope to break down this political
strength.
How the issue stacks up is described
by Candidate Beckham.
Il emphatically favor repeal of the
pari-mutuel law which grants special
organized gambling privileges to race
tracks and if / am elected l shall use
all honorable and proper means to Sc
cure it's repeal" he says. when 1t
is repealed, 1 shall be glad to see
legitimate horse racing preserved and
the industry of breeding race horses
prosper. Base ball, foot ball and other
sports flourish and prosper without the
legalized privilege of gambling. Pari.
mutuel betting is the evil source of all
the Jockey Clubs wealth and power"
Senate Support Claimed.
Even with his election, Beckham
would run into snag, because of the
Jockey Club claim that 1t already has
assured support Of % out of the So
members of the Senate. A repeal bill
passed the lower house in the last
legislative session. but was defeated In
the Senate. .t
Where the governor has a whip
hand. though, Is in appointment of a
racing commission which controls the
sport, by setting track dates, approx.
ing jockeys, establishing purses and
regulating the size of the "take-out"
from the gambling money.
This threat causes the Jockey Club
to assert that it win pull out of
Kentucky and shut down it's tracks,
IL the people select Beckham. The
Republicans say:
Threat Is Sc0ffed.
"The candidate. Beckham, brings
nothing save the pledge that he will
destroy the pari-mutuel law. His elec-
ton means the end of racing in
Kentucky, the end of Derby day for
Louisville and the end of Churchill
Downs
Derby day has been run at Churchill
Downs for So consecutive years now.
and the thought of it's removal to
Illinois is counted upon by Repub-
licans to attract Kentucky votes.
This threat is pooh.poohed by the
Democrats. To take the Kentucky
Derby to Chicago would be like trying
to put the label on Chicago moonshine
bon, they tell the Republicans.
But both sides want the world to
know that there isn't reform issue
involved. Kentucky has ''open" Sun.
days, it killed in jig-time an anti
evolution bill, and is reputed to be
liberal in other lines. Trouble grows
out of the political control claimed to
be exercised by the Jockey Club,
through a use of its wealth.
Political Meddling Charged.
The club supposedly earns between
81 SOC, 900 and $2.000.00 year
through pari-mutuel betting and opera
ton of tracks. The claim is that it
spent about $500,000 in the primary
election this year, backing favorable
candidates.
1T is not the horse breeding in.
dustry that has caused all this trouble
! In the politics of Kentucky-but
rather those who are getting a big
rake-on from the take-out on pari.
| mutuel gambling machines and a
few high.hat millionaires from New
York, Chicago and Florida, who have
come to Kentucky to set up the great
est gambling institution In all the
world" That's the statement of
| Robert III. Lucas. collector of internal
| revenue for this district, and a Repub.
iican candidate for governor in the
| primary. who was defeated.
Out OF all the fireworks has come
| bitter old-fashioned knockodnw and
drag-o political battle. Kentucky's
thoroughbreds all have their eyes
turned toward Tuesday. with a hot
! race in prospect.
| (CnryriDht 1927