view raw text
1 RACING POPULAR IN PORTO RICO. New York, August 14. George T. Miller was a visitor at the Jockey Club Friday, his business being in connection with a shipment of nine thoroughbreds he is sending to J. W. Johnson, of San Juan, Porto Kico. Mr. Johnson is an American who owns a half-mile track at San Juan. "The Hippodrome," where horse racing is served to the inhabitants every Saturday and Sunday during the local racing season. Although these animals are all consigned to Mr. Johnson, it is assumed that they are for different owners, chiefly Spaniards and Americans, who have come to take an interest in the sport. In the lot are seven two-year-olds purchased in Kentucky. Besides these two-year-olds Mr. Miller is shipping the brown three-year-old gelding. Kilcraggen, by Cave Adsum Sailors Delight, and the four-year-old gelding. Bully Keeue. by Bobby Keene. J. W. Johnson, who is the racing promoter of Porto ltico, is said to be highly sanguine concerning the future of his racing enterprise. He says there are only about 100 thoroughbreds on tlie island, but as these are owned by men who are willing to race them as often as practicable he has no difficulty in providing satisfactory cards for his two days a week program, and that the attendance is extremely satisfactory. He lias six pari-mutuel machines to take care of the speculation and no other system has been tried down there. He is doing all he can to encourage the importation of thoroughbreds into Porto Kico, where there is a good demand for moderate priced animals of the plater class. He has made George Miller an offer to officiate as starter at his track, and it is not improbable Mr. Miller will accept. Should ho do so it will be with the understanding that there must be racing three days a week. Racing will open at the San Juan Hippodrome November 15 and continue to the end of the tourist season, which generally is a long one in San Juan, as tlie climate is said to be even more inviting than that of Cuba. The resident population, mainly Spanish and Spanish-American, is believed to be about 40.000. , , Mr. Miller says that the horsemen of both Porto Kico and Cuba arc discussing the possibilities of a tropical racing circuit for the near futurnc, to include Cuba, Jamaica and Porto Kico.
