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OWNERS WITHHOLD ENTRIES COLUMBIA MANAGEMENT TAKES MEASURES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF RACING. Owners Who Seemingly Are Using Course Only as Training Ground for Cliarleston Meeting May Bo Asked to Vacate. Columbia, S. C, December 14. Inclement weather and a poor program, were contributing factors in reducing todays attendance. Form was fairly well observed, as most of the purses were accounted for by favorites or second choices. In several instances, however, the best horse failed to win. Irish Kid. favorite of the fifth race, was subjected to frequent interference, which accounted for his failure. Gol-conda scored by a nose, with Duke of Bridgewatcr in second place a scant head In advance of Irish Kid. Fort Worth showed a form reversal as compared with a former start, when he won the closing race in handy fashion from Casque and Bertis. The latter was favorite. The fourth race went to Elizabeth Harwood. with Tom Massie and Pajaroita second and third. Tom Massie was best in this race, but propped at the start, which caused him to lose much ground. Pajaroita suffered extensively from interference by Hopkins and Elizabeth Harwood, and II. G. Bedwell was not slow to voice a protest. Our Nugget would have been the winner iu the opener with better handling, as she was beaten only a head, after losing many lengths of ground by going wide throughout. Moltke proved ltcst in the second, in which Agnier was an odds-on favorite. Toddling, a lirst-tinio starter here, was the medium of a big betting coup and won with much in reserve. Jockey Gordon, who was Injured yesterday by a fall from Hannah Louise, was reported today as resting fairly well, considering the severe nature of his injuries. The attending physlciaus arc hopeful of pulling him through. Caugh Hill, the Caughnawaga colt that Archie Zimmer deveioited into a promising plater, broke-down this morning, the injury being in the middle tendon of the off foreleg. On the occasion of his previous start, Mr. Zimmer was forced to stand a big boost to retain the colt. On Tuesday last he refused an offer of ,500 for him. Caugh Hills immense size will retard the process of patching him up. Koroni, winner of the first race, picked up a penalty of live pounds for winning on Wednesday, which made his weight 110 pounds. Jockey McGoverns badge was taken up by the officials and the lad will not lie permitted to accept any more mounts at this meeting. T. W. Chicago OBrien .Hooded the ring with Toddling commissions, as the horses were going to the tost In the third race and forced down the horses odds to 4 to 5. The management here is having some trouble in getting horsemen to enter for the races. Despite the fact that there are close to 500 horses on the ground only about 150 have gone to the post and these have mostly been of the poorer class. . Seemingly it is the intention of the owners to utilize Columbia as a training ground to prepare their horses for the Charleston meeting. Owners and trainers badges were taken up this morning and new ones issued. Those who have been here since the opening and have not entered their horses were given to understand that unless they sent some horses to the post they would be required to vacate the stalls they occupy.
