view raw text
IMPROVEMENT IN THE SPORT Result of Better Weather and Track Conditions at Havana Lady Spendthrift and Duchess Duchessof of Lizwill Winners by J Small Margins Iliivuia Cuba January 2 Improved track con ¬ dition brought a decided improvement in tho sport at Oriental Park this afternoon Stirring finishes wore the order with winners of some races in doubt until the official placing was displayed This was particularly so in the fourth race in which the oddsoil favorite Lady Spendthrift just managed to last long enough to withstand Jua uiris closing rush rushAnother Another close finish came with the running of the fifth race Duchess of Lizwill scoring by a nnse nnseWith With the return of normal weather larger fields will he seen in action and it is expected that some of the better class will be seen under colors soon soonTodays Todays attendance was up to the usual standard standardThe The stewards issued a notice cutting the sus ¬ pension of the apprentice rider 1etz from ten to five days which menus that lie will be seen in the saddle again tomorrow 1 Ileffcring has nurchased of C K Micklowaite at rivat terms the threeyearold plater Ma ¬ rauder but Al Austin will still handle the colt coltChristmas Christmas day just i ast will go down in the annals if Oriental Iark as one of the red letter days of Cuban racing The popularity which this fascinat ¬ ing sport has attained as one of the foremost outdoor diversions of the Cuban people was never more strikingly illustrated Grandstand lawns paddock and betting ring were filled to the over ¬ flowing point all afternoon with one of the most notable gatherings of holiday racegoers that ever visited tins track The crowd was made up of the elite of Havana together with a notable sprinkling if visitors from the United States The tourists lnvj otryet begun to put in their appearance in large numbers however and the bulk of the patron ¬ age of well over five thousand persons came from the ranks of the residents of Havana It really seemed as if everybody of any consequence in Havana was at the track trackPRESIDENT PRESIDENT MENOCAL FOND OF RACING RACINGHis His Excellency President Menocal graced the occasion with his presence it being his first visit to the track this season Accompanied by Sirs Mcnocal Miss Menocal and members of his cabinet and official staff the president readied the track just before the running of the third race and was personally welcomed by General Manager H D Brown in behalf of the CubaAmerican Jockey Club As the presidential party entered the grandstand the Cuban national anthem was played and the en ¬ tire assemblage arose to its feet to greet the presi ¬ dent The party was then escorted to the presiden ¬ tial box which had been l eautifully decorated for the occasion President Menocal who is a thor ¬ oughgoing sportsman and especially fond of racing expressed to Manager Brown his regrets that the pressure of public business together with personal affairs had made it impossible for him to visit the track earlier during the season and ventured the hope that he would be able to come again soon The president and the members of his party fol ¬ lowed the afternoons proceedings with keen in ¬ terest and remained to the end of the program During the afternoon he received a considerable number of his friends and advisers and Mrs Meno ¬ cal who is a charming and gracious lady acted as hostess to several intimate friends Among those who called at the presidential box to pay their respects was Lnited States Minister William K Gonzales GonzalesAll All in all it was a glorious day for racing and did much to further add to the keen local interest which is being taken in the siwrt The meeting which gives every promise of setting a new standard for the sport in Cuba from every standpoint is being most generously supported by the people of Havana and the experience of this season up to date bears out the contention of General Manager Illown that it is perfectly feasible to conduct a highclass meeting lare with nothing but local patronage to depend upon uponOCEAN OCEAN PRINCES REVERSAL OF FORM FORMThe The outcome of the Christmas Handicap was taken as a vindication of the attitude of the stewards in ordering the further entry of Ocean Prince re ¬ fused on the ground of inconsistent running This horses showing in his last two races was in glar ¬ ing contrast to the effort which preceded the win ¬ ning race which brought about the ruling against him himThe The success of the horses trained by Al Austin is one of the outstanding features of the racing reason here Austin has made a remarkable show ¬ ing with a small number of horses and any horse from his stable that goes to the post now has a big following among tin Cubans Cooper who came here to ride for the Austin stable has been showing good form and has had the mount on the majority of the winners saddled by his employer but other boys have been doing well with the Austin racers too tooW W W Finn has been appointed patrol judge at Oriental Park to fill the vacancy growing out of the absence of F M Kelly KellySunday Sunday January 13 has been set for the run ¬ ning of the Morro Castle Handicap 1000 added for horses of all ages threequarters i f a mile
