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WEATHER MAN STILL PROVES UNKIND. Drops a Little More Rain on New Orleans Track for Good Measure. By. J. L. Dempsey. New Orleans, La., January 58. — Hoping against hope that gooil weather will prevail from now on. the Rusiness Mens Racing Association is planning extensively for the remainder of the racing term to entertain immense throngs. The horsemen, who own the better class horses are also girding up. expecting from now on to be active factors in the racing. Many of the good horses that have been brought here have managed to get in enough preparatory work during the long bad weather spell, to bring them into excellent racing fettle, with a few more work-outs. It will take a continued spell of dry weather to briug the track back to normal, and the trainers will then have the opportunity to give their horses the needed work. The track was drying out fast and the roller was used on it Saturday night, but it rained hard afterwards and again today. The Rusiness Mens Racing Association does not indicate that it is seriously pel tubed over the attack made on racing and feels sanguine that, those seeking to destroy the sport in this city will not gain much advantage by their tactics. District Attorney Luzenberg has made it patent that he is still of the belief that his interpretation of the law is a correct one, and as long as the racing association conforms to the system of wagering inaugurated in 1915 and continued in 1910. as well as this winter, the betting comes within the law. He invites information that the association is violating the law and President Mc Diarmid. in page advertisements, challenges any one to produce evidence of law violations at the course. The grand jury may, like former grand juries, make an investigation, but if it does, it is hardly-probable that it will start its inquiry until well along towards the end of next week, on account of other matters requiring its attention. The race for riding honors at the track Is an interesting one, Crump. Robinson and Lykes being separated by only three mounts, Crump leading Robinson by one winner. Jefferson Livingston continues to be far in advance of other owners in the matter of money-won. Conditions Favor Poorer Owners. Three weeks of racing with a muddy or heavy-track, out of the first four weeks of the winters sport at the Fair iroiinds, have turned the tide of properity in favor of the owners of the poorer grade of thoroughbreds, and horses, which on a fast track figured to make little difference in the racing here, have proved the most consistent winners. Some of the better class of horses have beta valuable to their owners also in a purse winning way, but it has been chiefly in the stakes and thus far during the winter meeting, "unless a man has a good mud runner that he could depend upon, he has fared poorly in the distribution of purse money. Last week marked the inauguration of the minimum purse values of 1917.sh00 and the semi-weekly running of stakes and. while racing secretary Joe McLennan had a hard time upon several days in filling seven races because of the bad track, he was successful in bringing together well matched fields which made the sport interesting. The horsemen realize that they are racing for summer parage and they further realize that many horses which have won here, are not worth much more, if as much, as the net value of the lowest of the purses to the winner, 50. Just as soon as the good horses, those of the stake and handicap class, became on edge and fit to run a bruising race over a fast track, the going changed to muddy and they were knocked out again. Although some trouble has been experienced in filling the two-year-old races, credit must be given to owner G. W. J. Rissell and his trainer James Cass for doing all in their power to make these races successful, and this same pair have had the hardest luck of any stable here in the matter of winning one of the juvenile races. Mr. Rissell. who is a wealthy Pittsburgh business man and who is in racing strictly for the sport of it. has ten two -year -olds here and he has been represented in almost every two-year-old race run the first part of the meeting. His horses have finished numerous seconds and thirds, but something has always happened to prevent their winning. They either run out or meet with interference, but la-is still plugging along with them, and he is confident that he will leave here with few maidens. Local Turfman in Limelight. ■ack year sees some New Orleans turfman spring into the limelight, and this season it is William Rernhardt. owner of Mildred Euretta and Watch Your Step, both winners here. Not only has Rernhardt sent two winners to the post in the first part of the meeting, but he also has a two-year-old filly in his barn. Kinnia Louise, which is attracting much attention and upon which congressman George W. Loft of New York has designs. The filly- is by Transvaal — Relladonnn, and has bar-era] works of a quarter of a mile in twenty -three seconds to her credit. So well does congressman Loft like her that he has sent for Max Hirsch, who trains his horses and who has his stable quartered at Belmont Park, to come here and look her over and, if Hirsch likes her, it is understood that he will give a fancy price for her. Mr. Loft, who came here with Harry Stevens and F. Donovan, both well known in racing circles in New York, was surprised at the magnitude of the sport at the Fair Grounds, and it is not unlikely that he will be represented here with a big stable next winter. It is his first visit to this city while the races are going on since the revival of the sport and he said that he never imagined that it was as big as he has found it. Another prominent turfman who expressed the same opinion is H. C. Applegate, treasurer of the New Louisville ,Iockeyr Club and owner of the celebrated Old Rosebud, who is here soliciting stake nominations for the coming spring meeting at Churchill Downs. Mr. Applegate had to come here because of the sudden and serious illness of Charles F. Grainger, who never fails to visit New Orleans in the winter when the races are going on. He was astounded at the outpouring of spectators when he first visited the local track. Thus far Mr. Applegate has met with plenty of responses to the Churchill Downs stakes, and the entries for the 6,088 added Kentucky Derby include the best three-year-olds wintering here. As was the case last year, numerous business houses again are donating silver loving cups to the winners of handicaps named in their honor, and thus far any number of them have been given away. In addition to this, the jockey who rides the winning horse in these handicaps, receives a handsome present and, as a result, considerable interest is taken in their decision.
