Douglas Parks Opening: Big Crowd Sees Initial Racing at New Louisville Track, Daily Racing Form, 1906-09-04

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DOUGLAS PARKS OPENING. BIG CROWD SEES INITIAL RACING AT NEW LOUISVILLE TRACK. Handicap Feature Produces an Exciting Contest and Is Won by Miss Doyle Favorites Fare Badly Horses Arrive from Saratoga. Louisville, Ky., September 3. The Douglas Park Jockey Club inaugurated its initial meeting here today under favorable auspices. The program was one of good average quality all the way through and this, together with the holiday occasion, served to draw out one of the largust racing crowds ever seen in the Falls City. The extreme hot weather and some little tardiness In the transportation were drawbacks, but taken all in all, the days sport was as satisfactory as could have been, desired and it seems to indicate that Hie new track Is bound to hold a place In popular favor. Twenty-two books were in line and these seemed inadequate to the volume of money. The starting was prompt and good in all the raees eseept the last, in which John Doyle refused to break and was practically left. He was eased up by his rider after the others had gone a furlong. Under new conditions and with a drying out track speculators naturally found it no easy matter to locate the successfnl horses and the winners were all quoted at liberal odds. The out-of-town contingent was almost wholly made up of racing people who eanie here from Latonia. The Douglas Park Handicap, of -,000 at one mile and a sixteenth, turned out to be one of the best races seen in many a day; Seven started and all of these had pronounced support. It was a tribute to the ability of the handlcapper that the favorite was. quoted at so long a price as 5 to 1. The race was won by Miss Doyle, which in a drive, beat John L. Inglis a half length. Devout, another well backed candidate, finished third. The race was one of no little spectacular Interest, as John L. InglN and Sir Russell, a horse that had been well backed by the local turf followers, led into the stretch. At the end, however, both of them tired and Miss Doyle, finishing with rare gameness, got the verdict. The disappointment of the race was Colonel Jim Douglas, owned by a local man and a favorite among racegoers. He will show Improvement, as with the ride he received today, he had scant chance to take down the long end of the purse. The finishes In most of the races were eloifk and exciting and, despite the fact that favorites met their Waterloo, the winners were loudly applauded and the enthusiasm was genuine. A special train of Clnclnnatlans helped to swell the attendance and these were reported to have been among the heaviest speculators on the days races. The fastest time for a horse train was probablj: made when five carloads of racers arrived at Douglas Park this morning from Saratoga. They left the Spa at an early hour Sunday morning Most of the horses In the lot were the property": of T. P. Hayes, J. O. Keene. II. E. Rowell, J. Griffin, W. Gum and James Arthur. The. latter brought -back two three-year-olds which he purchased while in the east. Arc Light, which gave promise of being a. good jumper and was shipped east by Arthur, returned with the outfit and was fired this morning. He will be thrown out of training for a time. That starter Dade will not tolerate any nonsense from riders was conclusively proven in the first race when he susiiended Aubuchon for seven days for trying to beat the barrier. Captain Jim Williams and his son "Wink" arrived today from Saratoga. Phil Finch, their mainstay at present in a racing way, will get here tomorrow. Commentiug on their eastern campaign. Captain Jim said: "We had plenty of good luck and then some bad. I could have sold Rams Horn .for a good price shortly before his death but refrained from doing go on account of our attachment for him. It all breaks even In the long ran." Among todays visitors was Matt J. Winn, president of the American Turf Association. Mr. Winn stated that preparations were rapidly progressing for the care of visitors at the state fair, which will be held at Churchill Downs, beginning September 17. C. A. Ttlles was the only member of the firm of Cella, Adler and Tllles present for the opening. A detail of Pinkerton men, ably assisted by the local police force, cleared the track f objectionable characters and ejected several touts.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906090401/drf1906090401_1_7
Local Identifier: drf1906090401_1_7
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800