$100,000,000 Turnover?

At New York's Jamaica race track one day last week State Senator John J. Dunnigan swaggered up to a freshly painted pari-mutuel window, loudly & proudly proclaimed: "Much time has passed since I began my fight for pari-mutuel betting at New York tracks, so I am purchasing the first $2 ticket on Time Passes," /-

At the end of the day, the 25,000 spectators, who jampacked Jamaica's old stands, had poured $821,946 into the machines. It was the largest crowd Jamaica had ever seen and it was a larger handle than even Senator Dunnigan had hoped for. Thus, with a bang, pari-mutuel betting invaded New York race tracks, for years the last stronghold of the bookmaker. Jubilant over an $800,000 handle on a raw-cold Monday, New York Statesmen had visions of a $100,000,000 turnover before the racing season ends, Nov. 2. Envious of the State's share of the gravy (5% of the turnover), New York City officials promptly announced that its 2% sales tax would apply to all horses changing hands in claiming races at Jamaica and Aqueduct, both within the city.

/-Thus flagrantly violating pari-mutuel etiquette, which in the interest of speed and accuracy at the tellers' windows demands that betters call their bets by the horse's number, not name. Nevertheless, he got $13.50 for his $2.

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