Final Days Racing at St. Louis: Meeting Not Financially Successful, but Sport is Clean and Wholesome, Daily Racing Form, 1917-09-09

article


view raw text

FINAL DAYS RACING AT ST. LOUIS Meeting Not Financially . Successful, but Sport Is Clean and "Wholesome. St. Louis, Mb., . September 8. The Mnxwelton Park meeting of ten days came to a close with the running of todays card of six races. At the conclusion of the last race, Joseph A. Murphy made the following statement: "We lost a little money, but we gained something that money could not buy. AAe established in the minds of the people, of the state the conviction that racing can be conducted as cleanly as any other sport. This was ii most essential fundamental for the revival of racing. AAe also secured from the press and authorities a tactit acceptance of our construction of the statutes. AAe tried to keep every pledge. AVe offered daily cards of good-class races between horses in the hands of clean men, riddeii by competent and honest jockeys, and governed by the best officials obtainable. I regret that our lease did not also include the club house enclosure. I do not like bars on a race track. A buffet bar in a restricted club might be tolerated, but the promiscuous peddling of intoxicants gets on my nerves." "While we have no apologies to offer, a race meeting of the quality commensurate with the size of St. Louis, is too big a job for one man. No matter how large his personal following may be, he needs the help of representative men. If conditions become settled I hope to add Detroit and Chicago to my intinerary for 1918. I am opposed to long race meetings. Fifteen days in the spring and a short meeting in the fall should be the limit for St. Louis. Personally I would like them shorter, except that horses could not be secured for shorter meetings. Detroit, Chicago and St.. Louis could have serial Derbys and stakes with one entrance fee. Each could have its own Jockey Club and the three could form the nucleus of a new governing body in the west." UNFAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS. Unfavorable weather conditions the last day at Maxwelton Park, did not keep the attendance away. The weather was chilly and a drizzling rain kept up all morning. The track was a lane of mud, owing to a rainstorm over night. The talent suffered heavily, as the form was upset in every race, except the opening dash, which was won in easy style by the favorite John Hyner, which managed to save much ground when entering the stretch and disposed of his opiwneiits in good style. For the feature handicap, at three-quarters, G. L. Strang furnished the winner in his three-year-old gelding Money, which set the pace and, after shaking off Phocion on the backstreteh, kept his advantage to the end. Pockichoo, a well backed favorite, began slowly and could never get to the" winner. The closest finish of tlie day brought the defeat of the public favorite Lady AVorthington. Nightcap captured this race, the fifth on the card, setting all the pace and just lasting long enough to withstand the rush of the favorite. Some of the cheap platers here will rest hero for fairs in Missouri, while some horses will be shipped to Springfield, 111., for the running meeting, which lasts to the 15th of September. AV. Stormont shipped a division of his stable, numbering five, to New Orleans and the remaining five to Louisville. B. B. Rice claimed Cuddle Up for 00. 1. Christian claimed Louise Stone Friday for 00. A. Robertson has purchased Attorney Muir from the Poland Stable.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1917090901/drf1917090901_2_6
Local Identifier: drf1917090901_2_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800