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RAPID GROWTH OF STEEPLECHASING. Many Prominent Eastern Owners Acquiring Jumpers — Helpful in Perpetuating the Sport. By E-l Cole. New York. February ." . — Everything points to a big steeplochasing campaign this year. It is doubtful if ever there were as many jumpers being schooled as at the present time. The rich stakes offered here and in Canada are the incentive. Men who have heretofore confined their jumping interests to one or two horses now number them by the tens. Ambrose Clark, for instance, will have a string of more than a dozen. Then comes Al J. Davis with about twelve. Thomas Hitchock will bring up a big band from Aiken. S. .. as will Nash Turner and others. Quite a number are in the I.elmont Park stalls belonging to different owners. The two Widener brothers, O. 1. and Joseph, will no doubt send a few good ones out, in fact the eyes of many owners are turned towards cross-con ntry material. Steeplechases are a great attraction on the New York tracks. On days when a stepleehase is carded the attendance not only increases in numbers, but improves considerably in quality. There are many in the Long Island colony of sportsmen who never attend the races excepting when a jumping race is on the bill of fare. Some men predict it will not be many years before the jumping features will attract as much attention as a Brooklyn and Suburban. Those days cannot come too soon for the good of the turf, as it means a greater aristocratic following and a largely -increased influence that will be helpful in perpetuating the si ort on a solid foundation.
