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MAY SURPASS LAST SEASONS RECORD Patronage at Saratoga Is Now Running Ahead of Phenomenal Figures Made in 1917 By J B Jeffery JefferySaratoga Saratoga X Y August 17 It is learned on the best of authority tliat the patronage of the racing here is now running ahead of the phenomenal figures that made last years meeting the most successful l y far in the history of the Saratoga Association for the Improvement of the Breed of Horses If the present ratio of patronage is maintained it is altogether likely that last years wonderful record will be surpassed by the present meeting meetingThe The opening days of the present season were marked by a falling off in the attendance figures as compared with the showing for the corresponding days of 1917 but the patronage has been steadily gaining with the progress of the meeting and of late has been setting new records day after day in comparison with the corresponding days of previous seasons It is confidently expected that if the weather conditions are favorable tomorrow will bring the banner crowd of the season to the course courseNot Not until the October meeting of the stewards of the Jockey Club can the formalities incidental to the informal decision of the stewards to rescind the rule barring twoyearolds from racing until April 1 of each year under penalty of disqualifica ¬ tion from eligibility for further ricing until the following year be complied with The amendment to the rules designed to carry into effect the deci ¬ sion tentatively reached by Major August Belmont and his associates in the government of racing will be duly introduced at the September meeting of the Jockey Club stewards and it is expected will be formally adopted without opposition at the October meeting after laying over for thirty days in con ¬ formity with the rules of the Jockey Club govern ¬ ing such matters mattersINSISTENT INSISTENT DEMAND FOE ABROGATION ABROGATIONBut But breeders and horsemen generally have already discounted the official action on the strength of as ¬ surances from the powers that be that the action desired is contemplated There has been an insistent demand for the abrogation of the ban against early twoyearold racing of late Indeed it was not long after the rule was experimentally put into cffect i some two or three years ago that agitation for its repeal was instituted by bnieders AvUo ttiiac to the conclusion that it was depressing the values of their lowergrade yearlings for which winter racing afforded opportunities that were lacking when they had to face the more exacting competition of sum ¬ mer campaigning campaigningThe The Jockey Club is not an institution that changes front without real justification but when its di ¬ rectors became convinced that the rule which had been formulated iu agreement with the turf govern ¬ ing bodies of Kentucky and Canada was really working a hardship upon some of the breeders of the country who are surely in need of all possible encouragement they readily agreed to grant the relief asked for by representatives of the breeding interests interestsAnd And the result is already apparent in an imme ¬ diately better feeling among the breeders who are here They feel sure that the less desirable of their yearlings will bring better prices from now on as a result of an increased demand from horsemen who participate in winter racing
