view raw text
RACING BOOMING IN BUENOS AIRES. San Francisco. CaL, June 20. — Argentina is a great country as a turf center, according to R. P. Roberts, a m aiher of the local Driving Club, upon his retara today from an extensive tour of South America. He says racing is booming in Buenos Aires, with two tracks running the year round. Racing is held only on Thursdays, Sundays and holidays, but there are so many of the latter that there is racing nearly every day. Roberts was out to one of the tracks on a week-day ami fully 10,000 people lined the course, which is described as beautiful and more modern than our best tracks. The pari miituel system of bettiug is Med exclusively and the wagering is heavy. The class of horses ami jockeys also compare favorably, the one difference that Roberts noted was the fact that curb bits art-used, which enables the jockeys to pull up the horses quickly. The horses are brought out with their jockeys ap for an exercise gallop before the ruee. so that the spectators cau view them. Then they go to the paddock for five or ten minutes before going to the post. Brazil was another country where Roberts witnessed racing, but he says Argentina has made more progress with racing. The races attract all the aristocrats and society people of the cities. Roberts gives it as his opinion that there is a big field in South America for American breeders of thoroughbreds to explore.