Gossip of the Turf, Daily Racing Form, 1902-11-21

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GOSSIP OP THE TURF. If the Long Island farmers are not careful all their property will be transformed into race tracks. Nowadays every purchaser of a cabbage patch anywhere between Jamaica and Montauk Point is set down as a race track owner or promoter. There can be no doubt that that section of Long Island in and about Hempstead is admirably situated for race track purposes and that some day we probably will have a great racing center there. Advices gained from trustworthy sources, however, are to the effect that the prophets are moving a little swifter than the projectors of the now racing scheme. A man may not ba gifted with second sight and still see that as time runs the day is not far distant when the Morris Park, Sheepshead Bay and Qravesend courses will be no more. Morris Park practically has been claimed already and the blight or blessing may fall on Qravesend or Sheepshead Bay at any time. Brighton is more fortunato than the other courses in that it is a terminal property, and as such is not in danger of having streets run through it. But when Sheepshead and Qravesend have been doomed, the natural refuge of the clubs owning these courses undoubtedly will be Long Island, somewhere beyond the limits of Greater New York, and probably in the vicinity of Hempstead. At that the courses referred to, if anything, seem safer from interference than they were ten years ago, and there is no telling how long their lease of good fortune may run. It is understood that the powers that be in racing are anxious to group the racing interests iu one section and thus build up a great turf center in which horsemen could have a maximum of conveniences and benefits at a minimun of expense. Then, too, unless means should be found to still tho voice of the gambler who shouts so blatantly at Saratoga it may be deemed good policy to close the gates of that beautiful course and transfer its interest to this section temporarily. In that event there would be room and to spare on Long Island. In a few years mors there will be a tunnel to Jamaica, so , that the proposed n6W racing center also would be , convenient to tho patrons of tin sport, who would have safe, speedy and comfortable transportation i at small cost. Racegoers seul jm pauso to think of expense, although often they rise to protest against a lack of cousid ration for their comfort, a consideration which undoubtedly would be ever pros- . i ent with the now regime. All these matters are in 1 the future, but all of them uevurtiioless are ripe for i discussion. New York Evonin.i un. A call has been issued by Secretary Kuhl for a : general mooting of the members of the Western , Jockey Club at .the officos of the organization in 1 Chicago on Monday, December 1. According to the i constitution of tho organization tho annual meeting . of its members must be hold on the socond Monday " in December, but it has beon argued by the majority of the members that if tho matter of allotment of dates for next year is deferred until the second Monday of next month the secretaries of the several racing associations will not have sufficient time in which to prepare and advertise tteir stakes 5 for the closing, January 1. Hence, at this general l meeting, the schodule of dato3 will be arranged and other matters will receive consideration preliminary to the regular mooting on tho next Monday.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1902112101/drf1902112101_3_3
Local Identifier: drf1902112101_3_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800