HEAT BETTING. 



(Published in the "Kentucky Stock Farm," December 31, 1891.) 



Heat betting is the easiest and therefore the most 

 tempting way of swindling the public, especially the army 

 of small bettors. Remove the temptation, then "laying 

 up heats" cannot be objectionable. It is the very hardest 

 matter for the judges to reach and control, so as to pro- 

 tect the public, of any of the duties imposed upon them. 

 It is recognizing a system of betting differing from all 

 previous customs (wagering on contests of any kind be- 

 ing the main event) and in direct opposition to the fun- 

 damental law of betting, that "a bettor should not lose 

 without a chance of winning." When there is heat bet- 

 ting, even though a heat is "layed up" innocently for the 

 commendable purpose of enhancing the chances of win- 

 ning the main event and not for robbery, a certain portion 

 of the betting public lose their money without an earthly 

 chance of winning. 



The system has been for years the means of more 

 swindling, more robbery — five times told — in trotting 

 races, than^all the other methods in racing. Next to it are 

 "second money plays." Abolish both. If one horse is 

 so certain a winner that pools cannot be sold against him 

 for the main event, let betting stand still in that race. Do 

 not make a repetition of the Hannis-Ford, the Walter E.- 

 Honest George scandals, and hundreds of others like them 

 that might be cited, possible. 



