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THE BRIGHTENING OUTLOOK. There seems to be plenty of good cheer for the leu -.emeu and turfites the first week of the new year even if nothing tangible coasts out of all the tumors. During the past week there was talk of reviving racing in many siwits. New York looks as though it will surely have a few short meetings, ami there is even talk of a bill in the Legislature to relieve the directors from responsibility should ■nana one gamble on the race track. The latest field, however, in which the horsemen are given a ray of hope, is Minnesota. Twenty years or more ago thoroughbred racing had a fair hold in St. Paul and other cities in that state, but it died out and was never revived. Now some prominent citizens will attempt to get a measure through the Legislature and have a Racing Commission appointed, patterned much after the one in Kentucky. Of course, no big meetings are contemplated in Minnesota, but if the measure goes through there may be thirty-day meetings in several places and some good purses can be hung up. Speculation will be by the pari-mutuel system only and any one caught booking or handbooking will be liable to a penitentiary sentence. Another prospect is Tennessee, where a bill will be introduced in the legislature permitting the pari-mutuels to be used. The promoters iu that state appear to he confident of success in having the bill ptit through. Arkansas is also one of the states to be tackled and the latest to be mentioned is Indiana. The inutuels are certainly having their inning, for the Maryland State Racing Commissions have decreed that only that form of speculation shall be Indulged in in that, ktate. These should all be giwxl tidings for the horsemen, though it is too much to hope that the promoters will lv» successful in every instance. If they can get through a bill iu one legislature it will be a great victory and an opening wedge. The amine 1 svsteni of speculation is becoming very popular and the agitation of the army officials for more harm for cavalry mounts is bearing fruit. Indeed, the outlook is quite rosy — far more so than at any period in the last five years. It now begins to look like those who have steadfastly clung to their idea that racing would come back are likely to he able to s.iy "I told you so." If it comes back in just one state, watch the grand scramble for thoroughbred stares in order to breed more horses. The Pine Crass regions are so barren of colts that it k* hard to liml one. John R. Madden more than two years ago made the prediction that there would not be enough colts to carry on racing in its limited way in this country in a few years, and Mr. Madden appears to have been right. Watch breeding operations pick up from now on. — Cincinnati Enquirer.
