view raw text
AMERICANS AT HAVANA ENJOYING LIFE. Dances at the Clubhouse a Highly Popular Diversion — Some Gossip of the Track. Havana. Cuba. January 1.— The Bedwell stable scored its sixth victory at the meeting when Orotund won the fifth race at Oriental Dark Sunday. It was the tenth day of the meeting and a tremendous gathering was present. The crowd was a record one and it was in the main made up of the elite of Havana. The management feels much encouraged over the way the Cubans have been turning out. The tourist season here does not begin unlil after the holidays and then a big influx of visitors is looked for. G. It. Bryaou has sent three winners to the post to date and James Arthur has also saddled three. Dresident Menocal has placed his stamp of approval on the meeting by being a constant visitor with his family. His presence has attracted society to the course and. on Thursdays and Sundays especially, it has become the proper thing for anyone wlm is anybody in Havana society to occupy a box at the course on these days. Manager Brown has certainly worked wonders in beautifying Oriental Dark until it is now one of the most attractive race courses in any country. There was a pleasant dance at the clubhouse at Oriental Dark on Christmas eve in which main people directly interested in the racing participated. While the affair was quite informal it was also quite delightful. Dancing was indulged in until midnight. Music was furnished by the clubhouse orchestra and refreshments were served during the evening. Harry D. Brown, Jr., and his handsome young wife greeted visitors on their arrival at the dab-bouse. So successful was it that it has been proposed to make these dances semi-monthly affairs. Among those present were II. D. Brown. Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Brown, Jr., and Miss Brown. Judge and Mrs. A. L. Dobson. Judge C. H. Lansdale, Mr. and Mrs. James Milton. Frank J. Brueu. Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Flynn. Mr. and Mrs Thomas K. Lynch. Mr. and Mrs. Gustavo A. Wells Frank O. Holder, Jr. and Mrs. Melville Collins. Mr. and Mrs. H. ;. Bedwell and Miss Bedwell. Mr. and Mrs. Bdward Taplin, Mr. and Mrs. William Feuchter, Mr. and Mrs. William J. Lynch, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. D. E. fallen and Mr. Vernon alien, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Winstanley. Mr. and Mrs. James Bockius. Mr. and Mrs. James Arthur, Mr. Herbert McCutcbeou, Mrs. K. D. Lawrence. Miss Bertha Lawrence. .Mr. and Mrs. E. K. Brrson. Mr. and .Mrs. Robert Bain, Mr. and Mrs. E. Ashe, II. Durham. Charles Campan and F. Baceioco. "Ham" Keene has been a busy man. He is the John Ji. Madden of Cuba. Since th.- meeting began he has won two races and sold both of the winners at urlvato sale. Iinperator. which won the third race the second day of the meeting, passed into the hands of Senor Toulon, a young Cuban who is in the automobile business in Havana. Senor Tonlon is an enthusiastic horseman and contemplates gathering together a string of horses to race in the States in the summer and at Oriental Dark in the winter. Iinperator has been turned over to John Dowers to train. If Iinperator turns out well Senor Tonlon will make an effort to purchase Roily of Sam Hildreth. Chevron, the other horse that Keene won with, was old to II. G. Bed-well. There are several others in the stable that are ready, and as fast as they win a race will l o disposed of. Mr. Keene has alwavs been a trader besides lieing a first-class trainer and he has been successful at both. John BarttscbeU has won two races with Kopje. The latter finished second and third in its other two starts. Water Lily has won twice and was third once. Bddie Bath man. who brought the three-year-old Maxims Choice to Cuba for Dick Congdon. has rounded the Whalen cast-off into winning condition. He started Maxims Choice three times here and won twice and was second once. Bath-man is one of the best of the younger generation of trainers. At the conclusion of the Havana meeting Bathman will join forces with John Whalen as assistant trainer. Other horses that won twice here are Buyer Bey, Protagoras, Kncore. Mon-creif. Pierrot and Anna ban. Conflagration looks like uie of the best platers hero over a considerable distance of ground. He has won all of his three starts at Oriental Dark. Mortimer Murphy, who is handling the string that J. S. Ownbey shipped to Cuba, met with a painful accident last Friday. While galloping the mare Heater, the latter lwlted into the outside fence on the first turn and fell. Murphv was thrown against the fence and suffered a broken collar-lKine. He is up and about attending to his duties and is worrying only because the accident prevents him from participating in the festivities at the Maya. Murphy is a great swimmer and is a member of one of the water polo teams. Abe Kemper and Christopher Fitzgerald have never missed n morning at the Dlaya since the meeting began. Both are expert swimmers and both claim that the beach at Marianao is the finest in the world, which is certainly saying something. The Havana Electric Railway is featuring the Dlava this winter and the crowds at the beach are growing daily. There are several g.xod restaurants at the Dlaya besides a cabaret show. The beautiful Havana Yacht Club is also located there and the exclusive Country Club Is but a mile from the water. Phil Hyams. who has the distinction of being Hie first horseman that arrived at Oriental Park last winter, is back again. Hyams came here from New York and was again on the grounds for the opening. He reports that a number of fol lowers will be here from the north this winter and predicts a most successful meeting for the club. Secretary Nathanson has been doing great work in systematizing things and with the arrival of the big shipment that is due from New Orleans next week, his work will be simplified to some extent. Mr. Nathanson is certainly a wonder in his way and can probably get up a better card with b-s material than any other man in the business. There should be a material improvement in fhe class of horses, now that those that did not ship well have recovered from their trip. John Powers reports that Harry Shaw is doing particularly well and has fully recovered from his slight illness. The horses i:, James Arthurs stable are also rounding to. Chanteuse was quite sick but is on the mend. There has been only one fatality here, when the mare Patience died. She was sick when haded on the cars at Bowie and the trip here did her no good. Arthur has received word from Bowie that all of the horses that he left there are quit • sick. Tactics is in a had way and Water I.adv and Buzz Around are also extremely siik. William Bonder is here with the Arthur stable again, acting as agent. Fred Cook is the latest of the liookmakers to arrive. He brought his crew with him from the States and has not missed a day booking sine© ho got in. Billy Maher. who is in charge of the ring under II. I . Brown. Jr., reports a steady increase in the betting: also that he has received word that several other layers will be here after the holidays. In the niutuel department, which is under the management of Frank Bruen. things are running smoothly. Mel Collins is a regular in the mutnels. He started in at the field enclosure, but was shifted over to the big ring after the first few days. The machine* here ire ..f the latesl Haenaselster t i»-. wiii.h mean that they are the beat. These machines have several Improvements over those sued at the Kentukcy tracks and machines of a like pattern will 1 e installed at both Latoula and Douglas Dark. Frank Holder is acting as assistant to : Mr. Bruen here this winter.
