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RECOGNIZE RACINGS YALUE PEOPLE OF NORFOLK HEARTiEy IN FAVOR OF THE SPORT. Possibility That Virginia Legislature Will Enact Favorable Racing Measure This Winter Joseph Murphy Anticipates Success in Missouri. Norfolk, Va., Nov. 23. A new racing point lias been established on a linn basis here. For several w-usons the meetings of the Jamestown Jockey Club were run at a loss. Opposition at other points was in a measure responsible for this. The attendance during the present meeting has been indeed encouraging and although no great amount of profit will be realized by the promoters, still there will bo a fair balance on the right side of the ledger. The meeting has been well conducted, the racing good and the sport clean. There was some opposition from outside sources before the meeting opened, but this has disappeared. Norfolk is one city that apparently wants racing. The presidents of the Business Mens League, the Board of Trade and the Hotel Mens Association have all endorsed the meeting and every effort is made to render the sport here attractive to visitors. It would not be surprising should a racing bill favorable to the sport be passed by the Virginia Legislature during the coming whiter. If such action is taken the hill will be framed along local option lines, which looks to be a sensible solution of the racing problem. During the earlier days of the meeting the secretary was handicapped by a lack of racing material. Many stables were delayed en route from Laurel by lack of cars. Later on, the track was in bad condition, and this, too, resulted in light Holds. Now that the weather has settled, the sport should continue to be attractive. The track is a splendid one to train over. There is always a cushion and no matter how hard it rains, the footing is never really bad. Except for a stretch-of about a. furlong along the backstretch the track-dries out rapidly. This bad spot is paralleled by a row of tall trees that, .pi-vent the sunshine from reaching the ground, with the result that it is more or less damp and soggy in bad weather. i trsHtrgi rr The various reports and4ru.inors jconcerning racing in Cuba this, winter havei-had the horseman., here guessing and the tallure of those in charge to make it plain just what their plans were, has resulted in many of those who had intended going to Havana shifting to Charleston. The general, supposition is that had H. D. Brown done as ho first announced build a new track on the banks of the Almandares liver racing might have been made to pay in the Pearl of the Antilles. To many the old track at Almandares looked an impossibilitj-. Xhe construction of that course was against good sport. When It was built the engineer in charge, Senor Villejon, was forced to follow a ridge with the result that tho course was a series of short stretches. It is one of the most peculiarly shaped tracks ever laid out. The good reports brought back from Charleston by Fred W. Gerhardy clinched matters with many of the big stables and at the present outlook most of them will race in South Carolina. The Cuban project, so far as can be learned, is not off by any means. II. D. Brown is a man of great courage who docs not know the meaning of the word defeat and it is regarded as certain that he will make a great effort to carry his plans through. Joseph A. Murphy, who was appointed one of the stewards here about a month ago. arrived from St. Louis this week and will remain for the rest of the meeting. Mr. Murphy was delayed in St. Louis looking after the affairs of the new fair grounds that are being constructed in that city. He reports that many of the best people there have taken an active Interest in the plan and that there is no question as to its. being a big success. The plans of tho club are io make tho place an immense play ground for the people and when not in use it will be kept open as a public park. It is the intention to hold automobile races, aeroplane races, contests of speed between trotters and thoroughbreds and, in fact, almost every branch of outdoor sport. Immense exhibition buildings will be constructed and valuable prizes will be given in this department. Another special feature will be a horse show. One of the buildings will be set apart for the use of members of the riding club. In this structure eighty stalls will be constructed where members may winter their horses. Former Governor David R. Francis and Rolla Wells were the first signers to tho prospectus that was circulated by Judge Murphy and they have taken an active interest in the enterprise. There are now 200 members and it is expected that this number will be increased to 2,000 before next spring. The clubhouse will be a spacious affair. The initiation fee has been placed at 0, with annual dues of 5. This will entitle members to all privileges during the different amusements given during the season. If members of the club wish to place a smalt wager on the outcome of the races among themselves, they can do so, as this is not contrary to the Uiws of Missouri. Whatever wagering is done, howevca-, will be confined to the clubhouse enclosure and strictly among the members. No bookmakers will lxi permitted on the grounds and such wagering as Is done will be between individual members. The betting laws of the state will be strictly enforced and no wagering of any sort will be permitted in the public stand. During fifteen days in the spring and fifteen davs in the fall speed contests will be held and It "is just possible that the same number of days will lie given at the Elm Ridge track at Kansas City and also at the new mile fair grounds track that will be constructed in Oklahoma City. This will mean a circuit of ninety days of racing on tracks that will be within one nights shipment of each other. Capt. William F. Presgrave, an officer and stockholder in the Maryland Jockey Club, came over from Salisbury, Md., on Monday last to enjoy a few days of racing. Captain Presgrave is a personal friend of Governer-elect Goldsborough of Maryland. Ho does not anticipate any trouble for the racing interests in that state, provided the sport is kept within the bounds of reason. Governor-elect Goldsborough : likes tho thoroughbred and is a liberal minded man. : This does not mean, however, that he looks with : favor upon continuous racing in the vicinity of ! Baltimore as was the case during the past summer and it would not be surprising should legislation be unacted that will place the sport under the control : of a commission similar to that in Kentucky. ; William Garth came over from Charlottesville last i week to look over his horses that are racing here in i charge of his sou. Lewis. When told by some of ; the horsemen of the improvement shown by Maro-mara. Feather Duster and Busy, the senior Garth took a train back for home. He allowed that he c could not improve on the young mans training of 1 the horses and that Lewis had done better with the ? three horses than he could have done himself. Mr. 1 Garth will he back next week. He will spend the 1 Interval in Washington, where he has a bunch of I yoarllugs quartered at the Beuning race course, s There are a couple of Albemarle-bred Gloritiers in i the lot that can run like tlie wind. Two of them have worked quarters in better than 24 seconds al- : : : ! : ; i i ; c 1 ? 1 1 I s i ready. The third best of Mr. Garths yearlings is a colt by Hermis that he bought in Kentucky. Glorifier is a Hastings horse and the best son of the Spendthrift stallion that raced ahead of Fair Play and Priscillian. Glorilier won the Metropolitan Handicap of 1907 under the silks of the veteran horseman, James McCormick". If Fair Play had not developed first class form in 1008, August Belmont, the owner of Hastings and the breeder of, both Fair Play and Glorifier, would have purchased Glorifier from Mr. McCormick and established him at the Nursery Stud to take the place of Hastings, which stallion is getting along in years. When Mr. Belmont decided that he did not want Glorifier, Mr. McCormick leased the horse to the Hancocks of the Ellerslic Stud in Virginia. The Hancocks are delighted with the big chestnut.. Glorifier has proven a uniform breeder and his offspring have excellent feet and legs. Moreover, he stamps his get with the imprint of his own individuality. P. S. P. Randolph, the Philadclphian turfman who maintains a winter establishment in Aiken, South Carolina, has written his trainer, J..Byer, to arrange for stabling at the track now under course of construction at Charleston. It is Mr. Randolphs intention to race part of his stable at ,Char.lestQn. Plate Glass will probably be shipped to the farm for a winters rest. The black son of Plaudit has more than paid the expenses of tile stable this season. He has won at every track where he has raced and several of his victories were achieved in stake events. Besom and All Red will be among the number that will carry the Randolph colors during the winter months. It is just possible that jockey Butwell will ride for the Randolph stable at Charleston. At the conclusion of the present meeting Butwell will go south and will spend a mouth or six weeks fishing at the mouth of the St. Johns river. Albert Simons is one of. the number that have., decided to rest during the nvlnter. He will dispose of Surfeit, Jawbone and one or two others and plans to ship the remainder to Benning, where they will go into winter quarters. Mr. Simons has arranged to take ten of the yearlings that James Row is handling for Harry Payne Whitney at the Brookdale Farm in New Jersey. Half a dozen youngsters were sent south by Mr. Rowc last spring to trainer Simons at Jacksonville and he did well with them. One of the number, Moisant, won a dozen raees and several stakes.
