CLEAN UP OF RACING IN UNITED STATES UNDER A NEW CODE

Grey River Argus, 22 March 1947, Page 7

CLEAN UP OF RACING IN UNITED STATES UNDER A NEW CODE

NEW YORK, March 2'o.

Thoroughbred Racing Associations of t-he United States- to-day published a set of laws designed to clean up racing. The laws have been adopted by the 35 members’ tracks, which include virtually every major course in the country, and they become effective on April 1. The code provides for the fingerprinting of all those actively participating in the racing of horses. This includes all of the track employees, as well as the owner-trainers and the jockeys. The prints' will be kept by the Thoroughbred Racing Protective - Bureau, which is staffed largely by former Federal agents. The code also contains laws against firstly, aprpoaching anyone with an attempt to bribe, fix, or otherwise influence a race; secondly, against the providing of conveniences and facilities, including telephone services or credit acounts for bookmakers or betting commissioners; thirdly against considering demands for increased purses which are acompanied by threats or intimdation; fourthly, against soliciting competition by offering owners or jockeys monetary inducements. The code also prohibits night racing. Violations of the code can be punished by the suspension or expulsion of the guilty track from the thoroughbred racing association. This organisation had already instituted a lip tattoo brand method of identifying, racehorses, which will be made mandatory throughout all the association’s tracks.