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+ — . _ j, EVERYTHING BEADY FOR THE OPENING OF THE KENTUCKY | RACING SEASON AT LEXINGTON TUESDAY i 1 - 1 Lexington. Ky.. April 20.— The stage is all set for the curtain to lie run up on the 1918 season of racing iu Kentucky. The sport will begin here Tuesday at the famous old Lexington course, with the opening of the Kentucky Associations spring meeting of fifteen days. Xever in the history of this oldest of racing organizations, were conditions more propitious for a wonderful season of racing than they are now on the eve of the approaching meeting. Kverythiug is ready. The many improvements undertaken during the winter have been completed, the mutuel machines have been installed, the stables are nearly all filled, with additions pouring in daily and nothing has been left undone to properly entertain the big crowd that will be in attendance on opening day. Light stakes will be decided during the meeting. The following dates were set for their running: Ken Ali Handicap. Saturday. April 27: Ashland Oaks. Tuesday. April 30; Baby Bond Handicap. Wednesday. May 1: Hinata Handicap. Thursday. May 2; Camden Handicap. SatnrJay. May 4; Derbv Trial. Monday. May 6; Weideman Handicap. Tucs-day. May 7. and the Idle Hour Stakes on Thursday, May 9. The meeting will open next Tuesday. The Baby Bond and the Weideman are new stakes. The former will have an added value of ,500. while the added value of the latter will lie ,000. First money in the Baby Bond Handicap will lie a Lilicrty Bond worth ,000; second money will be a Liliorty B I of 00 value and the owner of the third horse will get a 0 bond. Secretary W. 11. Shelley has provided an excellent program for Tuesday and it is expected that a good field of handicap horses will contest the running of the Phoeuix Hotel Handicap, the opening, days feature. A. B. Dade will make his first appearance on a Kentucky track as starter, when he dispatches the fields on Tuesday, he having succeeded Harry Morrissey. A special horse train arrived yesterday bringing over numerous stables from Louisville, including She horses owned by A. K. Maeoraber. W. H. Baker. K. D. Alexander. John 8. Ward, J. F. Kelly. Joe Imensetter and several others. All of tlie horses unloaded in excellent condition, after a flying run from tlie Falls City. Eseoba. Kenneth I. Alexanders Kentucky Derby candidate, which left Louisville on the ailing list, showed nothing wrong when taken off the cars and trainer Ward is confident that he will continue to train soundly for the big event at Churchill Downs. Jockey Joe Xotter. who will ride Eseoba in his engagements here as well as in the Derby, came over with the Ward horses and he said that he never sat 011 a three -year-old that seemed to jsissess any more class than does the son of Broomstick — Christmas Star. "He will go as far as any three-year-old in the country," said Xotter, "and I do not think that there is a horse his age that can make him take back an inch. If he does not win the Kentucky Derby. I will be much surprised mil one thing certain, regardless of where he finishes. I think that he will beat Sun Briar." Other horses in Wards string include Midway. Franklin. Boniface. Valor and Byng. Midway and Valor are two horses, which like Eseoba. were turned over to Ward by trainer W. J. Young, when tlie latter took the position of trainer for John Sanlord in tlie east. The track was in excellent condition yesterday and several hundred horses wen- out for work. Some of the best moves were King Gorin and John Gund. mile in 1:47%: John Graham, mile in 1:49; Surpassing, one mile and an eighth in 1:55%; Independence and Azalea, mile in 1:44%; Sunmaid, mile in 1:45: Dick West, mile in 1:44%; Pair Orient, mile in 1:44%; Madame Herrmann, mile in 1:45%; Emerson Cochran, three-quarters in 1:18%; Silver Top. three-eighths in 38%; Bourbon Lad. half mile iu 52; Opportunity, three -eighths in 39%; William the Fourth, half mile in 54% ; Queen Blonde, three-quarters in 1:19: Hollinger and Salvatelle. half mil" in 52%; The Duke, five -eighths in 1:05%; Jim Heffcring. half mile in 50%; Best o Luck, half mile in 51%: Golden Floss, half mile in 55%; Adore. half mile iu 55%; Chalmers and Clara Martin, three -quarters in 1:15%; Fleuron II.. five-eighths in 1:04%: Velvet Joe. three-quarters in 1:16%; Ardent and Premium, five-eighths in 1:03; Xova-tion. half mile in 51%; Charley Bettor, half mile in 51%: Trapping, mile in 1:44%; Dorothy Dean, three-quarters iu 1:11%, and Busy Joe, three-quarters in 1:17. Included in the A. K. Macombcr stable which arrived yesterday were Hollister. Fell Swoop. Fruit Cake. Choir Master and some two-year-olds. Trainer Thomas Murphy is looking after the division of the Ma-omlxr stable which will race on the Kentucky circuit. This establishment has no contract rider this year, but trainer Murphy may pick up a good lightweight boy in the near future. Hundley Baker brought over James Foster, Kentucky Derby candidate; Sam McMcckin. Dr. Blair. Don Dodge. Carl Schaeffer. Judge Young, Tom Anderson, Tom Goose, Harry Breivogel. Mary Belle. Lady Botha. Green Jones and Sleeth. The Baker horses are in fine condition and bid fair to give a good account of themselves right off the reel. Jockey Roscoe Goose will do the riding for this stable and Jefferson Livingston will have second call on his services. Julius Reeder. who is connected with the racing secretarys offices throughout the Kentucky racing circuit, got in this morning from Louisville, where he has been resting up since the Hot Springs meeting clcst-d. Sam Xuckols. secretary of the Kentucky State Racing Commission, said today that he has received mere application-? for trainers and jockeys licenses this year than ever before and they are still pouring in. These triplications will be gone over at a meeting 01 the -lacing Commission on next Tves-day morning, which is the day the meeting opens. Viva America reeled off three-quarters in 1:15 yesterday morning and she could have gone much faster had her rider desired. Owner C. T. Wortii-ington said that she was never better in her life tnan right now and she works like it is a pleasure for her. In addition to having a booth at the Kentucky Association track for the sale of Liberty Bo-.ids. there will also be one for the Knights of Columbus, which organization is doing splendid war work, and the American Red Cross workers will hold forth in the club house. The directors of the Kentucky Ass.jtiation are going to do all in their power to assist the vj-.rioirs bodies enra red in war work and the racegoers in this section will put their shoulders to tw wheel whenever called upon.
