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ACID TEST FOR RACEGOERS Fair Grounds Patrons Not Found Wanting at a Critical Time Turn Out in Large Numbers Despite Inconvenience Caused i by Recent Fire. NEW ORLEANS, La., January 4. The racegoers of New Orleans have stood the acid test and were not .found wanting. They have flocked in unusually large numbers to the Fair Grounds since the opening of the meeting there on January 1, despite the inconvenience of a temporary grandstand, which, while none too comfortable, has served its puriKise well, and that there is any shelter at all for the racing patrons at the famous old course reflects great credit on the Business Mens Itacing Association. The Fair Grounds lias been titled the "Saratoga of the South." and the title has not been misapplied, judging from the good horses in the fields which have gone to the post here. It seems the owners of the lictter class of horses have all been lying in wait for this meeting to begin, and all have their best thoroughbreds ready to run the race of their lives. Unlike in previous years, owners and trainers are not waiting for stake races, but. they are sending their good racers to the post daily and "making hay while the sun shines." One of the most pleasing features of the present meeting at the Fair Grounds is the return of the two-year-old races. The "baby" races always arouse keen interest, and as a rule they provide good contests. Some youngsters of excellent breeding are quartered at the local track-, and it would not be surprising if a few stars were developed bcJweeiuowandtJarcli "Tljewnersthetwo-ytafJliip-iiwroVEtiy" anxious to ruii them, and they arc being given plenty of opportunities, as racing secretary Joe McLennan gives them on an average of one race daily in his program books. With the change in the scene of racing from Jefferson Park to the Fair Grounds has come an increase in the number of orallzers on the firing line anil husiness in this respect has picked up considerably. Several of the best-known layers, who operated extensively in the cast during the past summer and fall, have cut in at the Fair Grounds and more are expected to follow suit before the meeting gets much farther under way. Practically all of the laying gentry quit loser on the Jefferson Park meeting, but they have a long season in which to recuperate their losses at the Fair Grounds. The J. . Talbott stable that S. A. Clopton trains, which finished far in the lead in the list of money-winning owners at" Jefferson Park, bids fair to land among the leaders at the Fair Grounds meeting. The stable started off on the opening day by winning a purse with Under Fire, and with the help of jockey Frank Hobinson, who will do the stables riding, it cannot but prove to be a formidable factor in the decision of the purses at the Fair Grounds. The stable is well equipped, having no fewer than twenty-four good horses, including a half dozen promising two-year-olds. Included in the stable in the older division that are bound to give a good account of themselves are Icarus, Saints Bridge, Happy Go Lucky. Sylvano, Medusa, Say, Pilsen. Cobalt. Plenty. Rookery, Agnes Reona. Wnncdo, Alonia, Under Fire. Sid C. Keener and Grouss. Andrew Millers good four-year-old Ticket is also included in the establishment, as is also Dave Gideons Star Realm. WELL-BRED TWO-YEAR-OLDS. The stables two-year-old division embraces a number of well-bred youngsters, including the following: Sir Todd, ch. c, by Astronomer Poetic; Miss Todd, ch. f, by Toddington Alio; unnamed chestnut filly, by Astronomer !Mny Greenwood; unnamed chestnut gelding, by Astronomer Mirke; unnamed bay gelding, by Astronomer Helen OC, and tin unnamed chestnut gelding, by Astronomer Flela" 15. 1. T, China is at the Fair Grounds with a large stable of horses, some owned by himself, others by . Fellowes, and the remainder by F. Houseman of New York. The majority of them are two-year-olds, which will Ik? seen in action for the first tlnte at the Fair Grounds meeting. A number of thein are richly bred and highly regarded by their owners. They have shown in their training here that they will be able to cope with the best of the youngsters here. Among the best in tho Chinn establishment are the following: Chestnut colt, by Ethelbert Itoxane; bay filly, by Cunard Masks and Faces; black filly, by Hastings Olym-pin; bay filly, by Fair Play Toggery. Among the older horses in the Chinn stable are the three-year-olds Bronner. Safe Conduct, Caval-cadour II., Lloyd George, Toadstool, Poverina and Frederick the Great. The latter is owned by F. Houseman. In addition to these Chinn has a large number of two-year-olds that he has in training at the Kentucky Association track, Lexington, Ky. The stable of Jefferson Livingston, made famous at the Fair Grounds two years ago by. Colonel Venule, which was the largest money-winning horse at tliat meeting, has twenty horses in training here tliis- winter in charge of trainer Jack McCormlck. but even with that trainers skill the stable, as at present constituted, can hardly hope this year to duplicate its success in the year that Colonel Venule was at the height of his racing career. This is due to the fact that tile stable at present contains no really high-class racer and none of the prowess of Colonel Veiinie, whose last races prior to his going wrong were witnessed on the Fair Grounds track. The Livingstou establishment at present comprises a useful band of selling platers, many of which were seen in action last year on the Kentucky and eastern tracks. With the material at hand, however, trainer McCormlck is going to make a try for the purses that are being hung up at the Fair Grounds, and has already arranged for an active winter campaign. The stable Is possessed of some promising two-year-olds that are being developed under the watchful caro of William Covington at Douglas Park and. according to alj renorts, some of these youngsters are going to make turf history when they start their careers on the Kentucky tracks next spring. Mr. Livingston is due to arrive Here shortly for his annual visit, when he will announce his plans for un extensive spring campaign. George Land, who is -at present in charge of the horses owned by W. G. Johnson, will relinquish the horses and assume charge of those owned by F. J. Kelley, now being trained by T. I. Pierce. The latter will take charge of the Kelley farm in Kentucky.
