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OF INTEREST AT TIJUANA . t t RULING POWERS HOPE FOR THE PASSAGE OF j A RACING LAW FOR CALIFORNIA. 1 it c Meeting in Prosperous Progress — Settlement of Friction Over Selling Race Rules — List of i Jockeys at the Track. By J. R. Jeffery. i San Diego. Cal.. December 31. — Much speculation j is lieing indulged in by racing men gathered here j ever the prospects for a revival of racing in Culi- ] Ml. With the i xoeption of the brief meeting ] conducted :it Smu Francisco in connection with the . Pan inia-Paiific Exposition last year, there has lieen , no thoroughbred racing worthy of the name in Call fornia since the enactment of stringent anti-book- making legislation in 1911, which resulted in the permanent closing of the Oakland track, where , Thomas H. Williams had succeeded in keeping racing going for two seasons after the passage of the : Walker-Otis anti racing bill in 1909. Kecenily a ! formidable movement tor the restoration of racing i as one of the great out -door sports of California has been launched, with the Golden Gate Breeders Association of San Franc-ieo taking the initiative. Those in close touch with the move meat are highly optimistic over the outlook for the passage of legislation that will permit the resumption of the sport , on ■ scale in keeping with the best traditions of racing in the Golden State and under conditions that noliody can reasonably object to. Those who are standing sponsor for the proposed legislation will not ask the legislature to restore bookmaking. They are hopeful, however, that the legislature, when it meets ner month for its biennial session, can be induced to pass a law hand upon the Kentucky idea of a racing commission to control and govern the sport, with the pari mutuels legalized, and hedged about with provisions designed to eliminate the evils that brought racing into disrepute under the old regime. It is exp eted. for instance, that tin? measure which will be presented for the consideration of the lawmakers, will provide for local option by counties, restricted meetings in such counties as may vote in favor of racing, restricted dividends to stockholders of ra. nig associations with a view to discouraging the multiplicity of race tracks in any one locality, and an honest effort to build up a big horse breeding industry in the state by setting apart a portion of the proc cods of the racing to be devoted to the establishment and upbuilding of a series of district fairs throughout the state with valuable prizes to be competed for by horses of all bloods. The re-establishment of racing in California would be hailed with much satisfaction by manager James W. ColTroth of the Ixnvor California Jockey Club. He figures that the Tijuana track would fit in nicely with a schedule embracing meetings at San Francisco and l.os Angeles and. that with such a circuit, it would be possible to attract horses of the-highest class and a host of race-goers from the east. Regardless of what may be done by the California legislature, he is looking forward to a highly satisfai tory season of racing at t lie Mexican course a year hence. Tijuana Meeting Prospering, Things continue to go along in an encouraging way at Tijuana. The racing Itself continues clean and fairly fonnful. thanks to the vigilance of Judge Iettingill and his associates. Action is lively in the betting ring and neither layer nor backer has any good reason for complaining either on the score of the volume of t In* betting or in regard to opportunities for getting money down. Thc only c -ctruorilinary happening of late at the track, followed the organization of a branch of the Thoroughbred Horse Association, embracing in its memlMTship virtually all of the owners and trailers of stables quartered there. Si .me little friction arose out of the presentation of demands upon the fack management for changes in selling race practices. not so much on account of the proposed changes themselves, as on account of the way the demands 1 were presented. After a series of conferences bo-"ween ni:"ice;er Coffrotfe and representatives of the lwrsemens association, an understanding was arrived at. Mutual concessions were? made and the cause for the friction disappeared with the putting into effect of the Canadian rule providing for the claiming of winners of selling races at their entered selling prices, plus the amount of the pane, instead of their being offered for sale by auction as hitherto. Much ill-feeling had been eagende red I by an epidemic of run-ups, which had the effect of taking away the purses from the winnc rs, and sometimes an amount in excess of the purse. Now that this matter has been satisfactorily diapea d of, it ! is probable that the meeting will go serenely on its way. undisturbed by further friction of the sort. Logan Denny, one of the prominent i.n ■ben of the . Kentucky delegation racing here, was the most active . figure in the organization of the local branch , of the horsemens association, and was chosen as its chairman, with John D. Millin as secretary. The executive committee is composed of A. L. Denny, T. A. Davies, C. W. Gasserand II. W. Iloag. Terms of New Selling Rule. The text of the new rules under which selling races are conducted is as follows: "All selling races shall lie claiming races, whereby every horse, including the wii.ners may be claimed for the entered selling prie-e. plus the purse, or for the amount specified, according lo the conditions of the race, by anyone having a starter in said race. And all horses so claimed out of a selling race must stay in the possession of the claimant for thirty days. No friendly claims will be permitted, under the penalty of being rated off or suspended." At one stage- of the proceedings leading up to the putting of this new rule into effect, the situation presented a rather squally aspict. Manager Coffroth felt, that in view of the scrupulous care with which he had carried out every promise he had made the horsemen in regard to the purses and ether arrangements in conniCtion with the meeting, he should have been consulted before any formal action was taken to deprive the track of any of its revenue, however unimportant. While lie was still considering just what policy he would follow out, the horsemen took tilings into their own hands and. one morning, refused to make entries for the following day/s racing until the matter should be settled. They ae ted as a unit in the matter and carried their point. A truce was patched up .with the horsemen dictating the conditions, and not until then wore the entries forthcoming. That same evening Manager tollioth appeared at a special meeting of tin association by invitation, and addressed the horsemen on the subject of his -aims and intentions witli respect to Tijuana rac ing. He pointed out to them that lie- had persevered with the Tijuana venture in tile face of discouraging setbacks, the most serious of which had bee* the virtual wiping out of the plant by the destructive floods of last winter, and aaaared the si that it would give him the greah si pleasure- to share with the boraesaea any prosperity that the Lower California Jockey Club might enjoy in toe future. He- told them that lie would voluntarily increase pane values wliiiinir conditions warranted such a procedure and that no cine would we -lcoiiie the opportunity more than he. The hoiscneii arete so favorably impressed tiiat they in turn agreeel that if the- necessity shouhl ever arise they would be willing to accept a cat in purse values. The conference bloke- up with both sides pledged to pal forth their best efforts for the upbuilding of Tijuana as a great winter racing center. Pleasant Weather a Feature. It was not until thirty seven days of the nice t-lag had passed into history, that patrons of the track were called BOOB to face anything unpleasant, so far as climatic conditions were concerned. Kve -ryhody. who is here this arbiter for the first time-, marvels that there could be anything BO nearly approaching perfection in the way of weather as that which has been prevailing lure-. Day after day the sun lias been shining brightl.v ami with such a genial warmth that it Seemed difficult to believe the ne-wspapir reports from the east telling of snowstorms, low te-niperatures and wintry gales. The day before Christmas brought tin- first rain of the season and gave the mud limners their initial opportunity to show their merits in soft going. It is expected that they will have but few such opportunities, for. as a ge-in-ral rule, comparatively little rain falls in this locality. Last year proved the exception to the- rule- in this respect, however. One peculiar feature about this particular locality, according to the claims of the residents and borne out by those racing folks who uut in the greater part of laandt summer here, is . t t j 1 it c i i j j ] ] . , , : ! i , 1 I ! . . , that there is virtually no difference between winter and summer. This would make it perfectly feasible to conduct racing at Tijuana at any season of the year that seems advisable. It is only rarely that the wind attains any considerable velocity here and. all in all. it would indeed be difficult to find ,i place whe re nature is in a kindlier I and where general conditions an- more conducive to the thorough enjoyment of outdoor sport. Riding Talent At Tijuana. The Tijuana track is well off in the item of riders. The books of the association show that licenses to ride have been granted to some sixty-five jockeys and apprentices, including a number of no little skill and reputation, lickens and OBrien are un-doubteelly tiie best of those who have been riding here- since the beginning of the meeting, but they will have to look to their laurels now that Troxler has entered the races. The latter is showing all of his old-time skill in the saddle and has already enlisted a large following among patrons of the track, lie !s as gales as a flash at the barrier and has the ability to make a sluggish horse run that few present day jockeys possess. With it all, he is a strong finisher. While a free lance in the strictest sense of the term, he is under ail arrangement to ride for the stable of George W. Wingfiold when he can make the weight, trainer Early Wright having released jockey OBrien as a result of differences growing out of the employment of an apprentice rider upon the occasion when Scarlet Oaks won the Tijuana Selling Stakes with Casey up. The complete list of the jockeys licensed to accept mounts here, with the names of their employers and their riding weights, is shown below: Jockey. Wt. Employer. *G. Alexandra, Jr. ...Iff G. Alexandra •J. Alt 10S J. G. Bussey W. L. Anderson ION Free lance C. Ames 108 Free lance C. Burlingame 110 Free lance D. Bauer 108 L. F. OLeary G. Byrne 107 Free lance D. Boland 112 Free lance W. Brazed 93 G. W. Wingfield •A. Casey 103 William Walker »W. Crooks 9.- C. Buxton II. Cavanagh 107 Free lance K. Carter 100 A. Neal M. Tampitt 95 A. Neal •J. De loister 90 W. P. Fuller *.l. Dwyer 95 AV. II. Hogaa R. Dority Iff Free lance J. Frach *. . .10S Free lance C. Gross 104 Free lance J. Oiata 112 A. B. Spreekels It. Harrington 100 Free lance T. Hayes 104 Free lance R. Imes 113 Free lance *A. Johnson ff S. Iolk C. Jones 107 It. 1". Dickerson W. Kelsay 100 Free lance F. Hopkins M C. W. Gasser K. Lapaille 103 A. Williams G. Leeds Iff J. Randolph W. Lilley 105 J. L. Paul J. Longo 102 G. W. Wingfield E. Martin 102 M. Reiser A. C. Martin 110 A. E. Patterson M. Matthews 102 Daniels and Hodges L. Mc.Velams 100 F. Borland J. McKride 105 Free lance J. Mclntvre 100 Free lance .V. McCloskey 109 F. Risk S. Mc-Graw 95 F. Howard T. McTaggart 115 Free lance J. Me-tcalf 110 A. B. Spreekels C. II. Miller 107 C. Buxton *R. Moore 83 F. Rinehart J. Marys 9S J. F. Clifford •V. Newman 100 0. L. Foster T. Nolan 105 E. K. Kane W. Ornies 104 Free lance W. J. OBrien 10S Free lance C. J. OMahoney 107 Free lance R. Pauley 107 E. T. Miller A. Palms 107 R. G. Martin A. Picke-ns 104 J. Fuentz E. Pegg 112 C. A. Holcomb E. Pool io5 w. p. Poller •E. Rice TOO F. T. Shorten C. Riddle 105 yeanbe Stable G. Scherrer 94 Fn.ziet and Farris H. Shilling 105 C. II. .Shilling R. Shilling ..108 C. H. Shilling A. Smith 110 Freelance E. Smith 100 Free lance II. Stearns 9S II. L. Craiue F. Stevens 99 H. T. Batchler W. Taylor 105 Five lance It. Troxler 110 Free lance C. Van Duscn 102 J. W. Fuller , R. Wilson 10G Freelance Beginning with the new year, there will be racing at Tijuana every day in the week with the exec ption of Wednesdays. Before the holidays Monday had served as the off day. The change to Wednesday was determined upon for local reasons. Barney Oldfield, celebrated automobile speedster, Who is now a resident of Los Angeles, is a frequent visitor to the Tijuana track at week-ends. He is an ardent admirer of thoroughbred racing and loses no opportunity for inelulging in his favorite pastime.
