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MANY IMPROVEMENTS AT OLD PIMLICO Persistence and Good Management Havb Restored the Historic Track to Prosperity Washington D C April C The turfmen of this country feel very grateful to the Maryland Jockey Club of which W P Riggs is the moving spirit at the enterprise which nine years ago caused that gentleman to begin to hold small crosscountry race meetings at the famous old Pimlico track and which despite five years of financial losses were perse ¬ vered in until now the spring and fall race meet ¬ ings there compare in importance with any of the socalled second circuit But for Mr Riggs perse ¬ verance Maryland would now be a dead state as far as racing is concerned and owners of stables might be in desperate straits because of the agita ¬ tion in New York and in Washington against the sport For five years Mr Riggs and his associates made up annual deficits of no small proportions but since regular flat races under license from the Jockey Club became a feature about three years ago there has been steady if slow improvement horsemen were given larger purses to race for much money was spent in improvements and the farfamed Pim ¬ lico track may yet see some Of the best horses in training race over its course It would be nothing new for as you walk along the new brick lawn in front of the grandstand you can see painted on the panels of the stand the names of many of the winners of the famed Dixie Stakes which include such turf champions as Preakness Hanover The Bard Crickmore George Kinney Tom Bowling and a dozen others Fancy the feelings of men like Frank McCabe now a grayhaired trainer when he sees the name of Hubhard winner in 1872 and recalls that he McCabe rode him James Rowe rode one of the winners also and it is a com ¬ mentary on the difference in the times when it is stated as a fact that McCabe was given a gold piece of the value of 250 which he lost before he could spend it and Rowe was presented with a new pair of boots with red tops and he never tired showing them to his friends These and other interesting things were told me by John Brennan the track superintendent at Pimlico who as boy and man has spent nearly fifty years on or near the track trackMany Many noteworthy improvements have been made to the track since last fall The jumps in the steeplechase course are truly formidable now Ex ¬ tending out from the rear of the grandstand nearest to the clubhouse end is a very large inclosed pa ¬ vilion in which is room for thirtyfour of the old bookmakers boxes It is legal in Maryland to use bookmakers boxes and give out cards as tokens of bets Ttiere is a new clubhouse and new rooms for the ofliciate for the transaction of business A pad ¬ dock with eighteen stalls takes up a lot of space and it is one of the best there being plentyof light air and room for a long walk for the horses There Coattaaed on aecoad page MANY IMPROVEMENTS AT OLD PIMLICO Continued from first page is a new judges stand new soil on the track many now stables and all told the club can take care of COO horses by using the halfmile track adjoining the PIuiIIco track At the meeting which will begin on April 22 to continue sixteen days an average of 2000 a day will be given in overnight races and this itself is an improvement of 1000 a day on the average of three years ago The club has made itself popular l oth with racegoers and horsemen and as there are many of Marylands best people in the 100 members fees 20 a year it will be seen that the institution seems built on a solid foundation for some time to come comeJohn John Brcnnan has renewed acquaintances lately with Frank McCabe George Evans George Barbee Tony Quantrell Pat Maney and others who rode over tlie course in its early days when Oden Bowie was president and when the Dinner Stakes was originated when Vigil and Brother to Bassett were bought for 25000 by the then young linn of Dwyer Bros and when Vigil won the Dixie and Brcckenridge for the since famous Brooklyn firm of racing men With the great growth of racing around New York the best horses were kept there and Plinllco became only a memory but as said above it is now on its legs again and in splendid shape to do battle Mr Riggs is conservative and sees no reason to fear adverse legislation The chief trouble now will be to provide for the great number of horses sure to flock to Pimlico in the next three weeks weeksSpeaking Speaking about the Dwyers I have met at the Raleigh a man who for many years bad been a clerk in a big poolselling firm He told me that the largest sum ever realized in an auction pool was in connection with the memorable sweepstakes at Brighton Beach about twentythree years ago when Edward Corrigans Frecland defeated Dwycr Bros Miss Woodford and four others in a sensational race there The Dwycrs bad sent to the auction poolselling firm an order to buy for them pools to the extent of 40000 Corrigan and his friends had commissioned the firm to buy pools for them to the same amount The other starters did not cut much figure The field included Frecland and Modesty for Corrigan Miss Woodford and Rich ¬ mond for the Dwyers and Benson and I think Favor for G B Morris First choice sold for 15000 and the Dwyer entry was the favorite The Corrigan pair also brought 15000 the Morris entry very much less As you know the race was won by Frecland Hardly had the horses passed the post when there was a commotion In the paddock and later I learned that Jimmy Rowe the Dwycr trainer had resented with a blow a man who hnd taunted him and that Frank McCabe also a Dwyer employee had taken up the matter in behalf of his associate Bowe It was this race that at ¬ tracted so much attention also because of the hos ¬ tility between James F CaldwcII the starter at Brighton Beach and Edward Corrigan As a compromise Jimmy Sheridan dropped the Hag HagThe The poolsellers clerk now a clubhouse commis ¬ sioner told me two stories about the sort of men he meets in the clubhouse One who bears the name of one of the most noted gentlemen known to the turf world a quarter of a century ago is described as a beat Jle has regularly bet with and won from the clubhouse commissioner who by reason of seeing him within the reserved enclosure gave him credit At last the balance was in favor of the commissioner but all attempts to col ¬ lect have been futile The man issued a check which was returned several times on each occasion the debtor had some plausible excuse The debt Is still unpaid The mere publication of this mans name would create a sensation sensationThe The other story is to the credit of a clubhouse frequenter1 who now resides at Washington His father won the greatest turf prize in the world many years ago A few days ago the present bearer of a great name asked the commissioner the odds against Monte Carlo Ten four and two was the answer When you quote me tho correct odds I will bet you a hundred each way said the gentleman These are the correct odds re ¬ plied the commissioner They are much larger than the market odds returned the gentleman The clubhouse commissioner at once sought the latest quotations and found that seven two and four to live were now the quotations At those prices Mr L bet the commissioner The horse lost but the commissioner related this story as one of the many instances of Mr Ls customary behavior to the commissioner J J Burke
