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GOOD OUTLOOK FOR STEEPLECHASING STEEPLECHASINGNew New York February 11 Though none of the rac ¬ ing associations has yet made public its plans for crosscountry racing during 1010 it is assured that the spectacular end of racing will be much better than it was in 1909 when many of the stables went to France and others were content to race in Canada This resulted in many of the steeplechases being farcical and altogether the crosscouutry racing of the past season over the big tracks was far from being up to its usual stand ¬ ard A reason for the assurance of a bettering of conditions for the coming season is the fact that several new stables will be in the field and many of the older ones will remain for what is offered by the tracks of the Jockey Club rather than ship to Canada The energy and enterprise of the amateurs and their governing bodies the National Steeple ¬ chase and Hunts Association and the Hunts Commit ¬ tee has had much to do in interesting new owners in steeplechasing and while a number of them will coiiline their efforts to the hunt meetings not a few have signified an intention to go after greater game on the big courses A Henry Iligglnson who has become an active member of the steeplechase division and whose Sir Wooster was winner of the Grand National of last year as well as several other good races promises to race one of the best stables His horses are wintering at Glen Burnie G R Tompkins place at AVarrenton Aa In addition to Sir AVooster there are Ballacalla Fincastle Prince Hampton and an ¬ other at the Tompkins place The present inten ¬ tion is to have them ready for the meeting of the Maryland Jockey Club at Pimlico and from there they will be shipped here hereJ J K Maddux a veteran amateur rider is au other who proposes racing a stable of jumpers on the big circuit aud he has some horses at the Tomp ¬ kins place Harry AV Smith who owned The Cad and Saiket will return to racing seriously and Robert Boyle by his recent purchase of Thistledale from James AA Colt is another who intends trying in the best company companyThe The itracks at Jamaica and at Yonkers are the only two in the circuit of the Jockey Club that are not supplied with a steeplechase field and it is probable that the jumpers will not lack for oppor ¬ tunity Last season there was no steeplechasing at the Aqueduct meeting of the Queens County Jockey Club but the crosscountry folks themselves hail shown so little interest that Philip J Dwyer could hardly be blamed for eliminating such races from his program The conditions are different now and while the intent of the Queens County Jockey Club has not been made public it is well nigh certain that it will he one of the tracks to conduct steeplechasiug steeplechasiugThe The Saratoga Association will have about the same steeplechase program that has been the rule for past seasons The stake list has not yet been prepared for the meeting at the Springs hut it will be out before long and in addition to a renewal of all the steeplechase fixtures there will be several overnight races in keeping with the length of the meeting Belmont Park Sheepshead Bay and Gravesend have excellent steeplechase lists to pat ¬ tern after if they follow along the lines of other years The reentry of the Brighton Beach Racing Association into racing affords another chance for the crosscountry stables and altogether the out ¬ look for a firstclass season of crosscountry racing is bright
