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i | | . NEW MAIN TRACK AT SHEEPSHEAD BAY. ] Changes That "Will Make the Famous Course One ] of the Fastest in the Country. New York. January is. — Owing to the mild winter superintendent frank Clark has lieen able to prose , •lite his work of improving the Slieepshead Ba track and buildings withoiiit interruption. OcjMral manager John II. Bradford, who makes a weekly ] visit to the track to keep iu touch with its pro- | gress. says a spell of winter weather would be beneti-ial in that a freeze would solidify the new seal, making it much easier handled. "The creation ;:t Slieepshead Bay." says Mr. Bradford, "of a course which will make possible the running of races of one mile and five-sixteenths around one turn will neeessitat • the starting of future Suburbans or the hackst retch. We could not start tin Subuiiian in the homestretch, as of yore, if we wanted to. because ihe new course will he an ellipse of one mile and three furlongs. The new arrangement will tend, of course, to the improve ment of the Suburban, from the standpoint of the sportsman. There will Ik- less crowding and interference iu future than there has been in ihe past. From the starting point of the future Suburbans to the first turn there will be a straightaway run if a half mile. The horses will not have to lake a turn iu the first part of their mile and a quarter journ.y before they are fairly in their stride. By the time they have reached the first turn they will be pretty well strung out and in their proper places, But the spectacle of a start immedia tely in front of the stand, which is always inspiring, will be lost in ; I hope the rank and file of our patrons will consider themselves compensated for this loss by the advantage gained through the elimination of our turn." The enlargement will redound greatly to the oenetit of patrons of the field stand, which, by the way. is being overhauled completely and will itselt look like a new structure before the beginning of the meeting next June. The addition of 22o yards to each of the stretches brings the field stand he-fore the middle of the course. Its occupants will next season be in a better posi-tion to see races run over With the main course mil the straightaway than will patrons of the grandstand and clubhouse. They will be at a dis- advantage iu viewing finishes, but that will be of small importance, iu view of the better sight they will get of the best parts of the races. The lengthening of the stretches will give participants in the races a homestretch run of three-eighths of a mile. There will next Season be but one tace coii!st. jtl the country with a longer houic-stret -h--Aqueduct. But if the Aqueduct course will have a bit the better of the Conev Island track as to the length of -ts homestretch, the ratters turn has a vastly bigger radius than the formers. The turn at Shecpsuoad Bay is so gradual and so well graded "ven now it is possible for horses to make as good lime in it as they do in an ordinary stretch.
