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THREATENED RAIN AVERTED 1 Shower Scares, But Is Succeeded by Clear Sky and Sunshine. : Many Coming Two -Year-Olds in Education Fair Grounds Improvements Nearly Done. NEW ORLEANS, La.. December 7. Hundreds of turf followers here retired last r.ight expecting to find the two local race tracks deep in mud this morning, as a hard shower which lasted about ten minutes appeared as a forerunner for still heavier rain. They were agreeably surprised when they awoke and found the sun shining and the two courses in better condition than ever as a result of their wetting. The usual big crowd was on hand at the Fair Grounds this morning to watch the yearlings in their exercise, and it was well along toward noon before the last of them was put away. At Jefferson Park -the course was also crowded with horses and fast work-outs were indulged in by m!i;Jy; of them. To date the Jefferson Park meeting has been bigger than was even expected by its promoters and it is becoming better as it goes along. All that was needed to make it a grand success was good weather like that which has prevailed since last Sunday. The track proper has taken rank as a "big leaguer" now. and i before the meeting is over it will in all probability have a new set of track records all around. During the past week six track records were broken and the three-quarters mark was equaled twice The five-.and. one-half , furlongs figure seem to be the special target, as it went down three times before George Clark, Captain Hershler and Arnold. Day of Peace set a new five-eighths record, which lasted only three days, when it was broken by Sweet Liberty. Tie Pin established a new one for the mile and one-eighth miles mark, while Marchesa II. now holds the record for one and one-sixteenth miles. Tlic old records were pretty slow for these modern times, but the new ones are getting close to those of the northern and eastern tracks. The choices are still proving elusive and of the sixty-three races run at the present meeting, only twenty-three have been won by favorites. Five odds-on choices have been, defeated, while three of them were returned winners. Even with the defeats of so many of the most favored ones, the layers have not reaped a harvest, as several "good tilings" have put a severe crimp in their bankrolls. At the Fair Grounds workmen labored incessantly all day today in an effort to have the plant ready for the meeting which opens there on January 1. While most of the work is completed, tliere still is plenty to do and no time will be spared on it. The grandstand, is practically finished and it lias been the source of mit;h favorable comment, as "it is a big improvement over the old affair. It is elevated so that a person can see a race all the way around Without having to climb on seats or chairs. The Business Mens Uacing Association is taking no chances on a repetition of a fire like that which destroyed the stand last year on the eve of the opening of the meeting. A fire compnii- with a chemical wagon has been placed in the paddock and it will be kept tliere until January 1. Then quarters will be found for it in some other part of the course. The roof of the old City Park paddock will bo moved over to the Fair Grounds and used as a shelter over the approach from the main entrance to the grandstand. The timers stand has been moved back to its old position, where it was before the fire and a new judges stand is in the course of construction. Jockeys Burke and Meyers were eacli suspended for six days by the stewards for rough riding yesterday. Burke was charged with cutting . lown Mary II. in the third race. Her injury is so-severe that she will probably never race again. Nepperhan was claimed for ,400 by It. P. Good out of the last race Saturday, and Pueblo, the winner in the opening race, was claimed for ,000 by G. Phillips. Dicker- Dare, owned by W. II. Fizer, after -working three-quarters Saturday morning handily in 1:17, dropped dead on the course. There were fifty layers in line Saturday afternoon. This is the high-water mark for this course.
