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XiATONIAS GOOD MEETING. "The fall meeting of the Latonia Jockey Club has passed the half mark, and there is every indication that it will be the most successful meeting held in years at the Milldale track. - "The fact that there are twenty books and a field book shows this conclusively. It has been many a year since that number has congregated in the betting shed there, and it has been many a year since there was any occasion for that many to be on hand," says the Commercial Tribune of Monday. "The attendance has kept up, and there have been very few days where it was not up to and over the three thousand mark. "The steeplechases, which were put on the card to prove an attraction, have been one of the lode-stones to draw the crowds. The local public has taken very kindly to the cross-country sport, and the attendance on the days that they are run averages over five thousand more than ordinary days. The sport afforded by the timber-toppers has been very good. All of the jumpers are schooled and are ridden by jockeys of experience, and the falls that did take place did little or no damage to either horse or rider. This sport has also been very free from scandal; just one bad-looking performance was noted. That was the ride that Bartley gave Henry Gibbs, and this lack of effort on the part of the jockey led to his indefinite suspension by Judge Price. The steeplechase has come to stay, and Latonia has a pretty course and a safe one. There is only one bad spot in it, and that is where the horses come on to the infield after taking the jump after the start. The angle is a little sharp, but it can be remedied. The fields have been a little bulky, and this could bo altered by limiting the number of starters to ten and giving three steeplechases each week. "The racing itself has been of the best; that is, for the class of horses that are in it. Of the seventy-eight races that have been run thirty-three were won by the favorites, and but two of these were at odds on. But one race had a shady look to it, and that was when Rag Tag was beaten by Golden Glitter in the mud. The way the money was sent in on Bag Tag suggested that it might be possible that some one had an ace in the hole. Two of the horses that were in the; race ran far below their form, and both of them showed on previous occasions that they were at home in the going. Tha horses wore Our Jessie and Star of the West, and the way they performed it looked as if some had made assurance doubly sure. On the olhor hand, Golden Glitter was known not to like the going, and there is whore the beans were spilled. The filly ran an unexpectedly good race and nipped the sure thing on the post and settled the fate of the first attempt at shooing on in at this meeting. "The odds, over which there was considerable growling, and which had all the earmarks of an agreement between the bookmakers, took a decided change in the latter part of the week. The twenty-five per cent, books disappeared and the layers are now booking on as close a margin as they did at Chicago all summer. "Everything points to the fact that the interest in racing in this vicinity has been revived, and it will grow if the thing is properly handled. Now that the public has shown that it will support the game, let the managers loosen their purse-strings and carry out some of the plans they gave out last spring. "Secretary Hopper left last night for the coast, where he is the presiding judge at Ingleside and Oakland. He will be gone six months and return in time to prepare things for the Bpring meeting at Latonia. Mr. Hopper is very popular on the coast, and, as he is a man of conservative views, he has made a great success in the stand. "J. J. Holtman, who is down to do the starting at the same tracks, will leave tonight. Mr. Holtmans opportunity to go to the coast came two years ago, when the turf war was on between Princo Ponia-toweki and Tom Williams. The latter engaged him and Jake made good, something which ha does everywhere. Holtmans departure gives J. J. Murray an opportunity to show what he can do. If he "mates good,and THer eT Is no reason why "fie should" not, he will get many chances next year, as there is a demand for another good starter just at present."
