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; ; I i : j , ! ; i HOT SPRINGS SATURDAY Everything in Readiness for Open- ing of Oaklawn Park Meeting. Over Seven Hundred Horses Al- ready on the Grounds, with More Arriving Daily. . HOT SPRINGS, Ark., March 13. With everything set for the opening at Oaklawn Park, the large gathering of turf devotees that is filling this city to the crowding point is marking time until Satur-; day, when the bugle brings the horses to the barrier for the initial days racing. Never were prospects for the sport greater, and interest in the coming thirty days meeting is countrywide, There has never been a better assortment of racers here, not even during the halcyon days when Rose-i ben, Mamie Worth and other cracks staged their memorable battles over the pretentious Oaklawn Park course. All the racers are fit and ready to go into racing, and their preliminaries have been watched with keen interest by thousands of visitors, who make it a practice to go to the Oaklawn course in the early morning hours each day. The consignment of eleven cars of horses from New Orleans which reached here yesterday afternoon brings the total of horses now at Oaklawn Park to over 700, and secretary Campbell is now becoming perplexed as to what disposition to make with the late arrivals. There are more to come from the Crescent City, but the bulk of those now at Jefferson Park will be sent direct to Bowie to await the opening of the Maryland campaign. Eacli incoming train is adding to the big host nl-jeady on hand, and many visitors who. have beep here, for" some "time; solely for their health are becoming inoculated with the racing spirit and have arranged a longer stay than formerly contemplated. Every indication points to an opening Saturday exceeding by far any former first day. The last vestige of opposition to the sport will be removed tomorrow when the legislature now in session at Little Rock adjourns. For some time there has been rumors of a possible law enactment that would put racing in jeopardy, but the adjournment of the lawmakers puts this element of danger out of the question. Track superintendent Schrader has made many improvements on the plant, and the track in particular is now regarded as one of the finest in the country. Sensational trials liava been achieved, even by some of the more ordinary ones, and a quarter gallop in twenty-two seconds has become a common occurrence. Late last night starter A. B. Dade, telegraphing from his home in Henderson, Ky., where lie went following the close of the Fair Grounds meeting, sent word that he would be unable to be here for the opening on account of the death of his brother yesterday afternoon. James Osbourne, his chief assistant, will preside at the barrier on the opening day. There will be no shortage of riders here, and those here will comprise most of the riding stars now doing saddle work. PROMINENT OWNERS REPRESENTED. The list of owners who have sent here representations to take part in the racing is an extensive one, and includes Harry Payne Whitney. Mrs. Payne Whitney, Willis Sharpe Kilmer, J. H. Bosseter, Charles Clark, E. F. Ccbrian, G. W. Winkfielil, T. H. Cross, T. J. Nolan, James McClelland, R. J. Mackenzie, J. AY. Parrish, P. Dunne. II. Perkins, Shields and Hawk, E. Peters, Robert- MeKeever, John Good. J. O. and G. II. Keene, C. B. Head, G. Barnes, W. H. Fizer, E. W. Moore, D. T. Morris, J. Randolph and a host of others. Among the principal jockeys who will take mounts arc Andy Scliuttinger, A. Johnson, C. Robinson, Mack Garner, L. Stalker. C. Borel, D. Connelly, N. Barret, II. J. Burke and others. The Kentucky rule applying to all persons who for some reason are disqualified from enjoying the privileges of the track will be rigidly enforced here, and these persons so disqualified will be denied admission even in the morning. Among the most recent arrivals are W. A. Pinker-ton, head of the famous detective agency; Jefferson Livingston. Tom Shaw, C. Callahan, Peter Blong, Bill Arnold, Dave Gideon, Leo Mayer, John A. Rogers, Mose Goldblatt, R. A. Smith, Ed Trotter and others. General manager Joseph A. Martin of the Oaklawn track put racing on a more firm foundation yesterday when he announced a voluntary contribution of 00 daily to the Business Mens League for good road purposes in and adjacent to Hot Springs. The sum so derived from the present rac ing will put the highway between Hot Springs and Little Rock into a. complete condition and make the 1 motoring between these cities easy. Considerable interest is being displayed in the ; three-year-olds here, which include Eternal, The Wanderer, Mormon, American Ace, Sailor, Cobweb, 1 Under Fire and others. Probably never before at any winter track has such an aggregation of prospects 1 for three-year-old honors been banded. There is a two-year-old race in contemplation each day. The band of juveniles here are, however, limited to some extent, as only eighty are listed : at the track.
