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FORT ERIE RACING BEGINS THIS AFTERNOON. Every Indication Points to a Successful Meeting Amiritious Program for Laurel Next Fall. Fort Erie. Out., July 3. The Niagara Racing Associations initial meeting of 1910 will be inaugurated here tomorrow. The program includes seven races, with the Fourth of July Stakes as the feature. From .the present outlook the races will be run over a drying-out track. Itesides tin; stake race a handicap at three-quarters is provided as a special attraction, with a field of eight named to contest it. Commonada, Runes and Rancher, which finished one, two, three in the National Handicap at Hamilton on Saturday, are among those named for the Fourth of July Stakes. Three of the races are at distances over one mil;, the others being sprinting affairs. Tins fields are in the main made up of horses that have been racing on the Canadian circuit, with a liberal sprinkling if Kentucky horses, including Leo Skolny, Mars Cussidy, jT-ts and Stars, Fan !. and others that have been racing well on the blue grass circuit. Three special horse trains arrived this morning from Hamilton and included in the consignment were all of the prominent stables that participated in the meeting at that point. There are probably more horses at Fort Erie than in any recent year and there should be no lack of material for the racing secretary to draw upon. George Walker, trainer of the Brookdale Stable, "was on hand, having recovered from his recent illness. All of the Dyment horses have been shipped to Fort Erie this year. Albert Simons also came with the Harry Payne Whitney horses, most of which are just rounding to from illness contracted in Kentucky. They will make their presence felt later on. Joseph McLennan, who Avill act as racing secretary at Laurel next fall, arrived from New York this morning where lie went to consult with M. J. Winn and his associates relative to the stakes and purses to be given for the Laurel meeting in October. Mr. McLennan brings back the report that more money will he hung up at Laurel this fall than at any other track in America. Some 50,000 in stakes and purses will be distributed among the horsemen. There will be seven races daily, with no purse less than 00. Nineteen stakes will bo opened, the most important of which will be the Baltimore Handicap, one mile and a sixteenth; the Washington Handicap, one mile and a sixteenth, and the National Handicap, one mile and an eighth. Two thousand five hundred dollars will be added to each of these stakes. The increased money added by the club will average more than ,200 daily over that hung up last year. The stake blanks will lie out next week. There will be a steeplechase every day, and two of the stakes will be for jumpers. Many improvements will be made to the plant. A new paddock, a new building for the jockeys ami a new secretarys office are being constructed. They will be built at the lower end of the paddock, instead of adjoining the grandstand. During Mr. McLennans visit track superintendent Keating telephoned manager AVinn that the job of covering the track had been completed. Two and a half feet of new soil has been placed on the track and after allowing it to settle, a heavy roller will be put on in alout ten days to locate any soft spots. The steeplechase course has also been remodeled and the II. and O. railroad has increased its terminal facilities. Arthur Edwards, manager of the J. Lumsden stable;, has obtained first call for his employer on the services of jockey W. Obert for the remainder of the Canadian season. Trainer Harry Littleficld was unable to ship the big Canadian string of Joseph E. Seagram to Fort Erie. Several of the horses were coughing and he decided at the last moment to let them remain at Hamilton with the hope that, they would round to in time for the opening of the Windsor meeting.
