The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-04-10
TODAY'S
SPORT
PARADE
BY HENRY McLEMORE

New York, April 10-(UP)-The
New York racing season opens at
Jamaica next Monday afternoon,
and while the program hasn't been
formally announced I am quite
sure it will include the following
events:
The State Senators handicap.
The Grab Bag Gallop.
The Wardheelers' stake.
The Fleecers' Futurity.
The Politicians Realization.
Tax Grab
If this card surprises you, then
you obviously haven't kept abreast
Of political activities in New York
State isnce the Dunnigan bill legal
izing pari-mutuel betting was pass
ed. Everybody making a living off
the voters money has risen to a
point of motion on some assembly
floor or another and suggested a
awys and means of getting more of
the voters money by taxing the
pari-mutuel paly.
With a ten per cent "bite" on the
bettors' money already agreed upon,
plus the genteel larceny known as
"breakage," the politicians still
aren't satisfied. Only yesterday a
member of the New York City coun-
Gil proposed that each track be
taxed $1,000 per race, per day, per
meeting, per season. He offered no
justification for this al fresco pick
pocketing-just got up and gave It
off as If it were hell of an idea.
With almost week left to think
up more forms of taxation, there
is no telling what we will find when
we go to Jamaica on Monday for
the first day of the New York sea-
son. Personally, wouldn't be sur
prised to find that the horse has
been eliminated as an unnecessary
evil around race track. There is
the chance that the politicians may
become greedy for the purses
awarded winning horses and decide
to run for the purses themselves.
would vote for such a drastic change
myself provided all jockeys riding
the politicians were allowed rowel
spurs, cat o'nine tail whips. and
batteries with the power of the
ones Westinghouse employ to gen.
crate artificial lightning.
Books Not So Bad
1t will be interesting to see what
a bettor will get back on a So win
ticket, say, when the politicians fl
nally finish cutting up the take.
When the bookmakers were in OPP
Grafton there was much crying be-
cause they usually offered 2 to S.,
out and out, on any to l shot. But
now, under the mutuels, that may
seem like the purest philanthropy.
Because by the time the state gov
eminent, the federal governmnt,
the county government, the city
government, the district govern
ment, and the ward government,
the borough government, the gov
eminent b., for and of the people
and probably Judge Landis-all get
through slicing themselves a piece
OF change, the 50 win ticket will
return minus 40 cents.
Only the sucker will study the
form chart and pick the winner. A
loser will lose only his 50 invest
ment. A winner, however, will lose
his So investment, the minus 40
cent charge for handling the win
ming transaction, and perhaps, a
ten per cent surcharge on his
handicapping skill. The usual race
track sob story Of II can't pick my
hat" will be changed to this cry Of
despair:
IF I win just one more I'll have
to walk home"
This will affect the tout sheets
and racing form. Instead of tipping
Seabiscuits, Challedons, Kayaks,
and BimelechS, these publications
will advertise sure losers.
But after all, why should I COM
plain2
Such q setup will mex me a ce-
lebrity overnight.
Need I explain?