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PEAKS FOR RACING AT DENVER. Secretary Lcighton Announces Opening of Five Stakes for Inaugural Meeting at Overland Park. Denver, Col.. March IS. Racing Secretary Robert P. Lcighton of the newly organized Denver Fair and Racing Association, has announced the conditions of live stakes for thoroughbreds to be run during the inaugural meeting of the association at Overland Park, June Ft to July -1. These stakes are to have no entrance or starting fees and are as follows: Opening Handicap, for thrcc-year-ohls and over, value .,000. distance one mile, to be run June B!. Colorado Derby, for three-year-olds, allowances, value, ,000, distance one mile and a quarter, to be run June 20. Denver City Handicap, for three-year-olds and over, value .,500, distance one mile and an eighth, to be run June 21. Juvenile Handicap, for two-year-olds, value .,000, distance live-eighths of a mile, to he run June 27. Farewell Handicap, for three-year-olds and over, value .,000, distance three-quarters of a mile, to be run July -1. The Denver Fair and Racing Association will con duct its meetings under the supervision of the Colorado State Racing Commission, recently created by Governor Amnions in compliance with an act of the Colorado Legislature last year. The commission has adopted the weight scale and rules of the Kentucky Slate Racing Commission almost in their entirety, including the requirement that there must be tio betting except by the pnri-inuttiel system. The act creating the Colorado commission is patterned after that establishing the Kentucky commission except that it provides that meetings under its provisions shall be limited to nineteen days each. The inaugural meeting at Overland Park will embrace the maximum number of days permitted by law and the association plans to conduct a meeting of similar duration next fall. The plans for the spring meeting contemplate a mixed program during the lirst seven days. There will be two harness races each day besides four or live running races. The last two weeks of the meeting will he devoted exclusively to the thoroughbreds. The association already has a large force of men at work renovating the track. The improvements will include the construction of a large number of new stalls to accommodate the four hundred thoroughbreds and two hundred harness horses expected. There are already about one hundred of the latter in training at. Overland Park. W. A. Read, who Is the leading spirit in the Deliver Fair and Racing Association, is a wealthy Australian who has of late resided at Vancouver. B. C. where he has been active in the affairs of the British Columbia Thoroughbred Association, under whose auspices racing has been conducted with remarkable success at Minora Park, Vancouver, for several seasons. The Denver Association which he has organized is in the nature of a limited liability company and he will have associated with him several other wealthy capitalists. He has transferred to the association a five-year lease on Overland Park which he recently negotiated and which carries with it the option of purchase at any time within the life of the lease. Mr. Read has Iveen endeavoring to secure the services of Joseph A. Murphy as presiding judge I for the meeting. Judge Murphy has been unable as yet to give a definite reply, but Mr. Read is hopeful that he will be so able to arrange his affairs as to accept the proffered appointment. Edward Tribe has been engaged as starter. Robert F. Leightons connection with the venture in the capacity of racing secretary and handicapper is especially pleasing to Pacific Coast horsemen, with whom Judge Lcighton is immensely popular both on account of his affable personality and the manner in which he has advanced their interests from time to time.
