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PASSING OF SHEEPSHEAD BAY. Historic New York Track to Be Cut Up Into Building Lets in Near Future. By Ed Cute. New York. May ."i. —Historic Sheepshcad Pay. Cue scene of s.nie of the most notable tboioiighbred contests, is practically an hsstitathm of the past as a race course, unless some arasth changes take place. In the near future the Coney Island Jockey Club will di-M.ive. Ail laterest m the eld com so has heca acquired by Hairy * _ Harkui ss. wao recently purchased the m.rtgage of ,010,000 from the Coney Island club, foreclosed it and bought it in at auction for ,300,000. For the past two years the old track has lieen an auto mobile ric - course of which Mr. Ilarknc-s was one of the principal promoters. As an automobile institution it was not a success, the company not paying the interest on tin ne.rigage. As a realty ]. reposition it is a valuable piece of property. Whether Mr. Harkie-ss will be sponsor for more automobile racing is not decided. Much will depend upon fi ture con-lit teas in this country. It could be again turned into a race course for thoroughbr.ds. 1 lit this is not probable while the laws of the state are so exacting. Consequently the presumption is that the heaatifa] tr.uk and grounds will be carves! into building lots unless automobile racing is tried again. Mr. Harkness w.-s the president of the Shoepshead Pay Corporation, which was responsible for huildiiic the two-mile automobile course and a wealth of grandstands capable of seating considerably more than oO.OOO persons. If legislation were forthcoming to relieve the present drastic laws of the stab. Sheepshead Bay would lie the greatest institution in the world for the thoroughbred sport. Mr. Harkness is a thorough sportsman of the highest type and n.ay wait a reasonable time before making final disposition of the grounds. The spo-t of Iiorse racing is gradually corning into its own in this country and when the nations affairs are more settled, the chances are that the thoroughbred will have more friends. When this is the case, oil Sheepshead would be n great acquisition to the — turfs historical institutions. It is now in good U hands and who knows but that some day the future generation may see stakes of the old values of 0,000 and more decided there, where the greatest horses of this country once attracted hundreds of thousands of lovers of the horse.
