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INNOVATIONS FOR LEXINGTON RACING. Lexington, Ky., March 3. The decision of the executive committee of the Kentucky Association to throw open the field on the opening day of the approaching spring meeting has been received with keen satisfaction locally. This innovation, which did so much to popularize and lend spectacular effect to the Kentucky Dcrbys of years ago. is expected to be especially attractive in Lexhr.toii, where nearly every individual iu the city and vicinity is more, or less interested in horses, and the free admission will enable even the humblest employes of the stock farms to come with their families and all their friends to .see the horses which they nursed in babyhood show their mettle in a real race. . Besides deciding on ibis innovation, the executive committee of the association, at its recent meeting -outlined other arrangements for the spring meeting of eleven days, which will begin on April 2ft. There will he seven stakes and the purses will ha. 00, ?100 and 00, with none less than lie latter sum. There has heretofore been much complaint of the three-quarter mile races being started on .a turn in the track and to obviate this it was determined to adopt a short three-quarter course, making the distance a little less than three-quarters of a mile, and starting on a straightaway so that all starters would have an equal chance to break. The custom in vogue at Jacksonville of having only the three horses which finish first unsaddled In front of the judges stand, the others "to be unsaddled in the paddock, will be adopted. The first race will be called at 2:15 oclock instead of 2:30 oclock as iu past years. Will H. Shelley, of Louisville, who for the past two years has been racing secretary, was unanimously re-elected to that position. Col. Matt J. Winn was appointed n committee of one and giTen full authority to select and make arrangements for a starter.
