Task Nearing Finish: Work on New Track at Charleston Proceeding Smoothly, Daily Racing Form, 1912-01-02

article


view raw text

Ki TASK NEAKLi FINISH ■STRUCTION WORK ON NEW TRACK AT ■CHARLESTON PROCEEDING SMOOTHLY. Kuth Carolina Course Resembles Gravesend in Some • Ways — Particular Attention Paid to Con venience of the Horsemen. CtarfestMk, S. C. January 1.— Francis J. Peas is rapidly completing ■ really big work in the coastrne- lion of a thoroughly 1 lern race track within iiv .■ miles .f iiii- city. Though he has been seriously haudicapped by a long rainy aenson, it is aaaured thai all will be la readiness for the opeaiag "" January 10. One ban to rialt the track to thoroughly appre-« tat the magnitude of the work that lias beca ae-L-ouipllshed In a remarkably short space of tiim-. The f ■ I : t t of ground ehosen for the new eoaraa re quired a deal 6f grading, and two big tills were necessary. One on tin- tirst tarn waa thirty feet wide aad fifteen feet deep, while the aecond aad more aerioua undertaking was on the far turn, where ■ apace "f fifty feel wide aad twenty feat deep had in be bronghl up to trade. Tli is baa all been completed. It was one of the lirst worfca thai waa undertaken In order that the fill woaid bare a chance to aettle properly. Before the opening these apota will be in-t as ihMi any of tli*- other atretchee of the mfle oval that is just about ready for the borma. In iiiaiiv waya the track resembles the Gravesend course or the Brooklyn Jockej dob. The front stretch lias a width of eighty feet, ample room Cor an.v field of horses that may be started daring the mooting. The turn- arc well laid out. being ol generous width, with a good sweep and slightly jinked. In another department Mr. Pons has been thorough, and i Ins i- the stabling for the horses. All of the stables are constructed with ■ wide shod for light i rises in ti "i weather. The haras are all eaa-stnn till along the tnosl taaitary lines. In addition to the ordinary stalls one of the •haw buildings "t the grounds is an Immense stable thai In some particulars resembles the old brick .no at hc Fair Uroonds In Now Orleans, rt i-4 •. an in.. i .tit. i thai famous lit structure probably more in its size than anything else, for it is 450 feet long and contalna 107 stalls. It has ample driveway throngh it- cent r and affords every oppor tuulty for the Jogging of horses within its apacioaa Willis. The grandstand, which la almost completed, will !•«• on.- of the niiist commodioaa and modern In its appointments in the smith. It is 27n reel long, with an additional forty feel that will In- reserved for colored patroaa of the apart. The only work that remains to be done oa this atractare is the Interior finishing and, as the roof is in pane . no Mie— i.f weather can ball thai lal or. The paddock la equipped with twenty still- and i- designed along the same lines as thai at Mon erief Hark, Jacksonville. it has the aeeretarya • •the. at mm end. and it is probable that the weighing will lie done then- afti r each race. M was the s. tem at the Florida track. Tor the accommodation of the horsemen who have ■Jreadj ahipped to Charleston, Mr. Pons constructed a large "not" in the track field, whore it is |x -alble to give the horses work. This was made necessary lor the reason thai the track propel could not in- used while tnx work on its construction was going forward. Tin- •■ride" i- kept harrowed and in first class condition, and it is possible to safely work horses over it al a two mlnate gait. Mr. l.iii-. ever since ground was broken for the new course, has been almost coaUnoooslj on the Job. He is mi hand each morning at eight oclock and personally directs every branch of the work, riding from gang to gang oi workmen on a saddle horse. lie baa never had any d.nilit of his ability to l e read] foi the opening, but the aethack that resulted from the bad weather resulted in hi- adviaing the n on 11 in at Colombia and Norfolk to refrain from hi| 1 ing their leases until a few days before his BViw*. n-i i opening. |v This advice was only for the reason thai the training facilities would be better at lioth ol those tracks. There an stables enough now to accommo dati the horses, bus the work that i- still to be done on the course Itself prevents it- being a suitable training ground. . in ral Manager Pons figares oa having all the ■llini; and grading completed by Thursday next, Which will leave Ave days for the finishing touches including the lop dressing of the track. The grand stic : will be turn.. I over to the painter- in a day or twn. The -land i- roomy, with plenty of frontage fir a clear leu of the running of the horses from any section. At present there are more than 350 lcr-is mi the ground and 400 are at Columbia awaiting word to come here. Horsemen In K.-n "ick.v . .ii Norfolk, and at Benning are only awaiting new- thai -tails an available to start shipping. Those owners who are here nr.- utilising a big half-mile ling In the center field for training operations, while the finished pari of the main track. about -•ii furlongs, is also available to work over. It 1- the general opinion that those horses that have been lure ;.ir some time will not be far behind In • r preparation and will take their fair share of lb purses during the early part of the meeting. Tli real Invasion of racing folk began yesterday with the arrival of several trams from Colombia, when racing* came to an cad Saturday. The horses H l Carman, William ii. Karrick and Frank M. ray lot are expected in a few day* from Aiken, s. C, where they have been quartered since tin cli..,- ,,| th- I. at .ma tall meeting. Ill Frank Taylors i msignmeut will l»- 1 1 1-- sensational Worth, which win rule an on rwbelming favorite for the i.t Keutnek- Derby. The coil will be given in- preliminar; training ..ml hi- Inaugural try ••ut in a race a- a il, ee-year-old over till- track. frank Union, assistant to John Hachmelster at l.atonia. has in- i added to tin- ochce force of the i haiic-toii Pair and Racing Associati n. Mr. Braen w II serve* a- the general auditor and will have • ••- of the :.-.. jat ion. Application ha- I.. .-M made t- i .. Supreme Court to innnl the writ ■! notice aervi i i . several mem ber* of the Columbia Racing Aaaocbition to appear • n .1. iniiary 1 l • stew cause why a restraining order ahnold not !»• Issued agalnal a continuance of the r. • Ing. The annulment i- -ought on the grounds th.! the racing in Columbia hi- ceased and ti, it - no further i him- to argue the nuisance in U ■ 1 1


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1912010201/drf1912010201_1_2
Local Identifier: drf1912010201_1_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800