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NINE WEEKS OF RACING FOR KENTUCKY. Lexington to Ask for Opening Week of Fall Season, Beginning September 19. Lexington. Ky., August ti. — No applications for dates for fall racing at any of the Kentucky tracks have been made as yet to the Kentucky State Baling Commission, but it is generally understood that it is planned that the season shall open here September p.t. Secretary Barret 1. Wilson said today that it is the sentiment of the directors of the Kentucky Association that a fall meeting of six days, beginning on that date, be given at the local track and that the directors will meet next week to authorize the meeting anil to make applications for dates. The rules of the Ken tacky State Racing Commission require that all applications lor dates must he made in writing to tin- secretary of the commission at least thirty days prior to the first day of the proposed meeting. As to Louisville and Latonia nothing is positively known here, but it is presumed that Louisville will follow Lexington and that the season in Kentucky will end at Latonia sometime in November, probably about the nineteenth. If this schedule is fid-lowed there will be nine weeks of racing before the movement to the whiter tracks in the south begins. With no racing in New York State after Sep-tember 1 and none of account in Canada after October 1, it is argued by thinking men of the turf here that Kentuckys opportunity the coming fall will be the greatest in its history and that garnering to the fnllest from this Opportunity depends entirely upon the acumen and liberality of the track owners. It is sound logic that liberal purses attract the best horses; the best horses make the best racing; the best racing attracts a large attendance, and. pet force, more betting and. particularly under the pari-mutuel and auction pooling systems, more revenue to the track owners. It is maintained that in framing their programs for racing this coming fall the tracks should add as much as * 0 to every race and give tin occasional .400 handicap. This, it is argued, would draw many of the best horses now in training in the east and in Canada and would give Kentucky racing of a character that the people of this state have not had an opportunity to enjoy in many, many years. It is likewise logical to presume that the good horses would la; folhwed by many lovers of the sport from the east and elsewhere who would, if the programs are made up of the usual cheap selling affairs, remain away. It is possible that the Kentucky State Bactag Commission will have some recommendations to make in this direction when the matter of dates is taken up. There is now before the commission for consideration and action a new rule fixing the minimum amount of added money on a liasis of population and track location. It is the intention of this rule that at Louisville and Latonia no pane of less than 00 in the spring and 0*1 in the fall shall be given, and at Lexington, which has a much smaller population, there shall be no purse of less than $.!00 in the spring and 50 in the fall. It is said here that there will be a compromise on the amendment to the ruleA to govern pari-mutuel betting. It has been prop aid that "pari-mutui 1 tickets of eacli and every denomination must be paid to the cent, and no racing association nor any any of its agents or employees will be permitted to retain any portion id the pool other than the rightful commission ami the mills which sometimes will appear as a fractional residue." The track owners maintain that the enforcement of such a rule would work disastrous delay in the payment of tickets and they have agreed to a com promise permitting pools to break on the nickle. but forbidding multiplication on the dollar basis in ascertaining the pay of . and *1 tickets. Since the purpose Of the amendment was to prevent the taking of such large sums on the "splits" as were gathered at Louisville and Latonia last spring, the compromise is considered ample. The success of racing under the government of the commission and under the pari-mutuel system in Kentucky is attracting the attention of lawmakers in other states. Within the last few weeks request 1 for copies of the act creating the commission and for explanations of the pari-tnutuel system have been received by the commission from California, Texas. Louisiana, Tennessee and Missouri. It behooves the turfmen and track owners of this stat*1 to stuilv well the situation as presented for the coming fall and to get together all interests in an effort to produce a period of the greatest sport that Kentucky has ever known. It will do much toward bringing about a reversal of the blighting sentiment that exists elsewhere.
