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MORE RAIN AT JEFFERSON But Weather Is Improving and Better Going Is Expected. Fair Grounds Track Made Over and Deemed Likely to Improve in Speed. New Orleans, La., December 16. After a week of the most miserable weather for racing that has ever prevailed in these parts, present indications point to the next to tlie last week of the sport at the Jefferson Parish track being inaugurated tomorrow under far more .pleasant conditions. Today the temperature here rose steadily until the weather reached a springlike condition, despite a rain which lasted the greater part of the night. Track conditions will show little improvement .tomorrow and horses which run best in soft going again will be in their element. All that is needed to make the last half of the meeting even more successful than the first half, is anything like a decent break in tlie weather. To date tlie attendance lias been better than was expected under such climatic conditions and the sport has been interesting, as a majority of the finishes have been close. Naturally- the bad track lias had a tendency to make trainers and owners" adverse to sending their best horses to the post, even in the week-end ,000 handicaps. There jjre plenty of good horses stabled here,- however. They will be seen in action when, track conditions: show an improvement. , " Form continues to be well preserved at tlie Jefferson track and out of the first ninety races-run. winding up Saturday afternoon, thirty-nine k of them fell to first choices. In fifteen days twelve odds-on favorites went to the post and only three of them were bpaten. Two of them, Miss Dryn and Onward finished second due to beginning slowly, Tlie other, AVoodward, wrfs not beaten badly, although he finished out of the money. Few horses were worked at the new course to-dayy ns the Mogs" were up, but the old Fair Grounds track was fairly alive witli thoroughbreds until well along towards noon. The work of re-soiling tlie old plant is about completed. It is expected that it will be really fast. A bottom was made of crushed oyster shells, a layer Of cinders to a good thickness was spread over the shells and the dirt was packed firmly on the cinders. John AAr. Schorr, who recently sold Cudgel to .1. K. L. Ross and whose horses are wintering at Douglas Park, Louisville, left his liomo in Memphis, Tenn., for this city today; He plans ; to remain here for the .remainder of the winter. TOM SHAW TO JOIN LAYERS. Tom Shaw, well-known layer, is also en route to this city and is due tonight, according to advices received by his brother Harry Shaw. This is Shaws homo city. He has been in Chicago .recuperating from an operation performedvon his knee in New York. The operation, was made necessary by an injury sustained during his boyhood days, in this city. Wayne Jopljn has been confined to his bed at a local hotel for two days past, suffering from, a severe cold, which, is said to be bordering oh pneumonia. His condition showed improvement today. Aernon Sanders, telegraph censor of the Kentucky racing circuit, and C. Druce Head, who recently purchased the AValdeck. Stock Farm near Louisville from Thomas Murphy, departed for the Falls City today to spend the holidays. Eoth will return soon after the first of the year. Jockeys Frank Robinson and AlberfJohnson continued their battle for supremacy during the past week and Saturday found Roblnsbii one winnfng mount in front of Johnson. Upon two occasions the latter tied Robinson, but the leader drew away both times. Sixty-six jockeys have beeij. seen lp the saddle here during the meeting to date. Those who have ridden four or more winners are: Robinson 15; Johnson 14; G. AAalls 8; O. Willis 6; M. Garner 6; AA Kelsay, E. Martin and J. Collins 4 apiece. , Although AV. C. Capps faired to win a purse during the week, he is still at the top of the list of winning owners with ,400 to his credit. To date 112 owners have shared in the division of the purse money and tlie following have won ,000 or more in addition to Capps: J. O. Talbott. ,900; M. C. Moore, Sl,360; H. Field, ,250; D. AVilliams, ,370; M. Shea, ,170; IK Perkins, ,150; G. Peterson, ,150; D. J. Drannon. ,030; A. M. Hurd, ,050, and W. 1. Orr, ,010.
