Steeplechasing Gaining In Popularity.: Entries for Stakes at Long Island and Maryland Tracks Exceed All Expectations., Daily Racing Form, 1917-04-14

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STEEPLECHASING GAINING IN POPULARITY Entries for Stakes at Long Island and Maryland Tracks Exceed All Expectations. By M Cob-. New York, April 13. -Steeplcchasing is taking a greater hold of horsemen and fashionable stable-than at any other time in American turf history. F.ntries for the stakes at the Long Island and Maryland tracks have been so abundant that it will not be out of reason to see twenty or more starters in some of the richer stakes and maiden races. Ninety-four nominations for the Green Spring Valley Stakes, to be run at Iimlieo. will give some idea of the number of horses lieing trained to go across country. Of these, pmct ieally twenty-five per cent are imported. This gives assurance that the richer owners of steeplechasers want the best in the market. They are going to the northern part of Ireland to procure what they de-ire. The prediction has been made that ere long every stable of plenum me will have a few jumpers attached. Stake- for jumpers .ire being enriched every year. Two of those event- through the field :it Saratoga have increased value- this year. They are the Bantam and Beieiujtk. It is such prngreaaiaa in value that will be an Incentive for owners to pay more attention to iteenbM -basing than they have heretofore. Steeplechasing appeals to many racegoers, especially the Long Inland colony of hunt club members, who always attend Belmont Park and other course-when a -teeplecha-e i- carded. One can always tell by the aaeeaablage in the club houses if ■ Jumping race i- to be run. The crowd is not only larger, but the general makeup is of a true sportsman character, many riding to the tracks on horseback in preference to the limousine. All these things point to the turf- ebvatiou and progres-ion. Hard to Fill Races a Few Years Ago. It was only ■ few years age that ii was hard t" fill steeplechase race-, and a field if three and four were frequent, it was an except Ian to see eight or tea go »« the peat. Secretary Earloekor of Saratoga, believe-: that he will have field- ot raai fifteen t twenty in the -take event- he has advert is,. d. The entrance of K. B. McLean into the Bteeptechaaittg field will add ta the array. He intends |e sit a merry pace with bis stable. Other owner-, not to he outdone, will BO diiubt lend both Mar and money to gather jumping material to keep Mr. .McLean from gathering too many plum-. Heme good cross-country racing in the future is aasured. The cold -nap of weather which struck New Ymk OB Sunday and lasted until Tuesday Bight, set the horses in training hack ■ trifle, the grannd baring become surface frozen anil daagerous for galloping horses. They arete all kept e.oiilg under the -lied-, but a two or three day- I. hip at this season i-disappointing to trainers, who are aaxieua to e.ct their material polished up far the opening of the Havre de Grace nwettng aexl Monday. Quite ■ few bersea will be shipped to the Mary land track in the mt few day-, several of tic-trainer- mi the Loan; Island track- preferriag t" gh • them their schooling at borne until the butt minute. especially in case* where they have ■ horse or rare ready to win a race the first Mate ant. By this means turf specula im - arc somewhat in the ilaik a- to the condition qneation, which, la these days of mutiu-1 belling, i- quite an Item to an on mi arha has to fool ail the bills of expense. A- one ut tin in said yesterday : Hard to Keep a Horse Under Cover. "It is arfghty hard .. hide a bone these day-. There ere I" many eyes watching every move a heme or man makes. Vet il i- far better than hi the old days, when every book maker of prominence employed a docket to inform him of the early morning doings or horses. There eras a time when one could get anywhere Iron 15 to 28 to I against a horse fee a race in the spring of the year. Not ■a these day-. Speculators seem to be on to what i reryhody is doing, and if an owner can get 2 to l against a good borne be i- fortunate Bat tie purses and -takes are Increasing, and soon one will not have to win a wager to pay -table expense-." William Murray, arha presided over the track al Mai-ouneuve. ha- thoTOBghiy inspected the Bowie mntael plant and ha- practically decided that it i-the system be will n»- aexl summer in Montreal. T like il." said Murray, ••but one has to get accustomed m ii after watching the old machine, n i- simple and one can calculate at ■ glance Just about the amount be can get r,,r an investment as n as the race lias tatted. Cheating is out of the question and as soon as my lunch patronage get accustomed to it, I feel certain they will accept it in preference ta the old style machini which are now la operation at other track-."


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800