view raw text
I i j MEXICO CITY RIPE FOR RACING. Keen Interest Evinced in Approaching Meeting Un- der Management of M.tJ. Winn. City of Mexico, Mex., October 14. The fall meeting of the Jockey Club of Mexico, which will begin I October 29 and cover :i period of seventeen days, will i mark the first appearance in this city in eighteen years of representative turfmen from the United ! States for the purpose of racing horses here. There have licen many changes in Mexico since i 1S93, the season in which R. C Iate made an effort i to establish running racing in this great city. Up i to that time the thoroughbred horse breeding Indus- : try of Mexico amounted to nothing. There were hardly a half dozen thoroughbred marcs in the whole country. Since then hundreds of horses of rare and rich pedigree have been imported here. Colonel Iate was the chief sufferer in introducing American racing here. He came before the time was ripe for the sport and he lost a fortune in his venture. lie had concessions as liberal as were ever granted by the Mexican Government and he might have succeeded had his capital lasted. Circumstances are different now. Wealthy Mexicans, as well as other men of capital here, ro now deeply interested in .the thoroughbred and to make their stock valuable in a breeding way they must have racing. As a result much interest is manifested here in the coming meeting and its success seems assured. For an inaugural meeting in a foreign country conducted under American management, the program offered is attractive to horsemen. No less than ,000 in purses will bo hung up daily for horses of all nationalities, aud 00 a day is donated for races for horses bred in this country. As remarkable a illy as Round the World, one of the stars of the American turf, will be among the horses that will race here during the coining meeting,, and Bettie Sue. winner of the Kentucky Oaks, is another that Is coming. The great feature of the meeting will be the Mexican Derby, worth not less than ,000 or ,000 in gold to the winner, whicli is more valuable than any turf event run in the United States or Canada this season. Tlds race was originally planned four years ago by the Mexican Government to encourage the breeding of thoroughbred animals in this Republic. For this purpose the government annually donates the money, to Je added to the stakes. Its conditions this year provide that only native-bred animals shall be eligible to start. The present favorite for the race is owned by Senor Alexandre dc la Arena and is a colt known to American turfmen under the nnnic of Sah Roman, sired by the American stallion Room Mate. At the summer meeting of the Mexico Citv Jockey Club this colt won the principal stake and to that performance is due his present position of favorite in the big event to be run during the meeting which begins here October 29. He will be piloted in that race by the American jockey. George Mountain, who came here last fall and rode Handzoal in the inaugural Mexican Derby which was won by Handzeals stable companion. Star Eyes, ridden by Dave Nicol.
