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Show IpEMONG iPQRTStf Released by Western Newspaper Union. FIGURES from the nation's race tracks are sufficient evidence that horse racing has lost none of its popularity. With the season about half gone for many of the major tracks, betting bet-ting totals are high enough to indicate indi-cate that just about every record will be broken in 1944. The present betting spree is unprecedented in American thoroughbred history. Just seven years ago the pari-mutuel pari-mutuel tracks totaled a fancy $266,000,000. That amount was even greater than many an enthusiast had predicted, but the follow-up has been little short of phenomenal. Each year, since 1938, the betting handle has increased. In 1939 it mounted to $291,000,000, and in 1940 climbed to $408,000,000. Racing of-Bcials of-Bcials thought that the 1943 mark of 5703,000,000 would stand for quite some time, but with the 1944 season sea-son slightly more than six months old, it is obvious that all records are to be shattered thoroughly. Heavy Gains Reported The country's biggest tracks are operating on a colossal basis.. New York, Chicago, New England, California Cali-fornia and Detroit all report heavy gains. More than a billion dollars will have been wagered by bettors before the season's end. It should be remembered, too, that this total is the legalized betting at the tracks. It has been estimated that at least an equal amount is wagered with illegal handbooks ; throughout the nation. When New York's season passed ; the halfway mark as the Saratoga 30-day meet opened, indications were that by mid-November at least 400,000,000 will have been wagered, and the state treasury enriched by some $27,000,000. The New York estimate is' based on the assumption that the second half of the season will be comparable compara-ble to the first. When the Empire ; season ended, marking the halfway point, the total betting for 96 days j (97 were originally scheduled but races were cancelled on D-Day) came to $208,038,623. If the second half of the campaign equals the first, the total would reach $416,077,246. And there is every reason to believe that betting won't fall off at any of i the major tracks. During 1942 the average Detroit racing fan bet $26.96 every time he went to the Fair Grounds to aid in the improvement of the breed. In 1943 this average went up to $33.50. But in 1944 the average jumped to $39.04 and is still mounting. Neiv York Average However, New York continues to stay ahead in matters of horse racing. rac-ing. During the racing at Jamaica, it was figured that the fans averaged $72 a day. When the New Tork races were shifted to Belmont, the average jumped between $92 and $100 a person. ' Race track operators are quick to realize that such huge figures may in time work against them in the form of increased taxes. They have attempted to solve this problem by making huge contributions to war relief agencies. During 1943 these war relief contributions con-tributions totaled $8,618,480.86. According to John N. Sabo, Detroit turf editor, more than $160,000,000 is invested in race tracks, horses and big breeding farms. The estimated value of the horses racing in the United States today is $55,000,000. "Actually," Sabo writes, "under present-day high prices of thoroughbreds, thorough-breds, the total is greater. Horses which cost $1,500 two or three years ago now are unobtainable at twice that figure. "A good indication is the racer Pericles which William A. Hellis of New Orleans purchased for $66,000 as an untried yearling. The 'Racing Sky' It wasn't so long ago that racing officials were having more than their share of trouble. The sport was being condemned quite widely as a wartime luxury something that could be eliminated from the national scene without loss to morale. mo-rale. The tracks were making big money. And they were a. bit slow about contributing their share to war relief organizations. The contributions made by the tracks have been impressive, but not out of proportion. Racing is big business and extremely profitable. The sport not only can afford to be generous, it must be generous. It is too dependent upon the public's good will to be anything else. SPORTS SHORTS Cleveland sport fans have donated $15,000 to a fund to provide playing equipment and free medical care to sandlot ballplayers in the city. The president of the newly formed Pacific Coast professional football league, J. Rufus Klawans, got his start playing under A. A. Stagg at the University of Chicago in 1909. The first no-hit, no-run game in the American Association this sea-son sea-son was hurled by Walter Brown of Toledo, to defeat Milwaukee, 1-0. Brown walked four men |