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CALIFORNIAS RACING PROSPECTS Tom Costigans Ideas After a Swing Around the Circle in the Golden State NKAV YORK N Y March 22 Some idea of the California racing situation can be gathered from a conversation with Thomas Costigan who has just returned from the coast after spending a few weeks with his old friend and associate John Cole man once well known in the east in the days when bookmuking was permitted he being one of the most prominent both socially and as an operator Few men ara probably as well known in racing as Tom Costigan especially in clubhouse circles he being a member of many organizations of promi ueiice a Mr OosHgaii thinks prosperous rachlg IS certain in California Talking of his trip he said I Visited Tijuana and found Coffroth fixing up his racing plant in expectation of opening next winter if not before He is a bit afraid of the prohibition movement staggering around in his path as many little bits of places are being built on the Mexican border in anticipation of San Diego becoming dry This means an exodus of landlords into the Mexican border town and some more trouble From what I could learn some influential and prominent people are going to build a magnificent Casino in Tijuana To show the class of those concerned they anticipate engaging John McCormack to sing at the opening concert There is no question that as soon as tilings are straightened out in Mexico there will be racing in Tijuana and it will be a highclass meeting too if manager Jim Coffroth can have his way He intends to offer attractions that will draw horses from the best stables east and west and make Tijuana just as popular as was the sport in Los Angeles and San Francisco So far as the resurrection of racing in California is concerned there is no question in my mind that with the right men at the helm some sort of legislation could be passed that would encourage the sport and bring back the breeding interests of the state stateThe The whole trouble is getting the right kind of men to interest themselves Mr Rosseter could accomplish much as he is a man of great ideas and is strong on achieving what he undertakes Mr Macomber too is capable of lending impres ¬ sive aid There are many others like them if they would only gather together and pull the same racing strokes aiming to conduct the sport in the interest of the state and to the satisfaction of patrons and horsemen more than personal profit which was tint chief idea of California racing here ¬ tofore To my mind it is only a matter of a few high class men starting the movement followed by the linking of business men into the proposition Racing could then be resumed in California quickly on a sensible and permanent basis with limited seasons in both San Francisco and Los Angeles and any other city that wished to encourage the sport and help the breeding interests It would be a great asset to racing and the thoroughbred breeding industry if a winter circuit could be formed taking in Juarez Tijuana Los Angeles and San Francisco This could be easily accomplished if the right men would get together and form a racing league
