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RAINFALL IMPROVES TRACK Prospects Are for Good Going for the New Orleans Opening. Officials Are Busy Scrutinizing Applications for Licenses Racing Patrons Pour In. NEW ORLEANS, La., November 25. Try as ho might the weatherman here could not- break up plans for a dry opening of the Jefferson Park race meeting on Thursday, but he did his best, as it rained early this morning. The rainfall did not amount, to much, however, and it did both Jefferson Park and the Fair Grounds a lot of good. What horses that were worked this morning were forced to go around the "dogs" at both tracks. The coming two-year-olds at the Fair Grounds, however, had clear sailing for a quarter of a mile cn the backstretch, which is as far as they are being sent now and again there was an unusually large number of them out for trials. Incidentally a: large, crowd of the ;regulart was on hand to keep tab on the movements of the youngsters. Some fast work-outs were indulged in. With the opening of the winter racing season only two days away and devotees of racing pouring in from all sections, this city presents a busy appearance. On all sides one sees members of the turf fraternity, many of them newcomers here, while others are members of the "old guard" who. never miss a meeting in this section. The capacity of the hotels and apartment houses is being taxed to care for the visitors. Some of them hare reservations which were made months ago. Entries to the Thanksgiving Handicap, for all ages at one mile with a purse of ,500 attached to it. closed today and weights and declarations will be bulletined tomorrow. Secretary Campbell said that he had a large list of entries for the race and, if a majority of them stay in, it should pro- vide -a capital contest. STABLE ROOM AT A PREMIUM. Kcr several days past there has been a steady stream of applications .for trainers and jockeys licenses pouring into the office of racing secretary J. D. Campbell. More horses are registered at Jefferson Park than ever before. Kor the first time since the" -plant was built every stall is now taken and many horsemen were forced to seek stabling room on the outside. Witli the arrival of Judge Joseph A. Murphy from Dowie tomorrow, the task of issuing the licenses will, begin, as. he. Judge Francis J. Nelson and Herman P. Conkling constitute the board of stewards governing the racing here. The closest scrutiny will be observed in this work, especially among the jockeys, as there are some riders here whom the local officials never even heard of before. The older horses of the J. W. McClelland stable will be transferred from the Kair Grounds to Jefferson Park tomorrow, while John W. Schorr will also send a division of his string. There will be two more motor vans in service this year to haul horses to and from tlie two tracks than in previous years and for this reason many of the owners are keeping their stables intact at the Kair Grounds. Entries for the Jefferson races wilt be taken dally at the Fair Grounds by AVasli Norvell, clerk of the scales. Dill Arnold and Pete Dlong, two of the best known layers of -the present day, were arrivals today,: and both will, be on the firing line at Jefferson Park. The ranks of the laying gentry are : being rapidly filled, and there will be 110 drawback in this respect at cither meeting. Jockey Harry Lunsford got in from Lexington, where he went following the close at Louisville to work some yearlings for Will Perkins. Lunsford will ride here for George F. Daker aud M. C. Moore.
