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HORSES AT WORK ATTRACT SPECTATORS Fair Grounds a Busy Scene Talbott Still Leading the Owners at Jefferson Park. NEW ORLEANS, La., December 28. All was activity at the Fair Grounds today, with horses being given work-outs until noon, workmen labored all day in an effort to have everything in ship shape condition for the opening on next Thursday. From early morn until dusk there was a steady stream of visitors pouring into the truck to get a look at the new racing plant, and many words of praise for the. management of the Business Mens Racing Association were spoken. Bacing secretary Joseph McLennan remained at his desk all day looking after the issuing of badges, collecting of the war tax and registration of horses. The latter task is no small one with the record-breaking number of thoroughbreds that are on hand here. Uncle Sam will benefit to the extent of nearly 0,000 in war tax from the complimentary badges in addition to the vast amount that will be turned in oh the daily badges which will be sold. At Jefferi.ni Park the war tax yielded the government slightly iu excess of ,900 on complimentary badges alone. Even though Jefferson Park is Hearing the end of its meeting, interest in the racing there is not decreasing in the least, but to the contrary -is increasing. Many new faces are seen daily of persons who Came down from the north and east, so as to be on hand for the opening of the Fair Grounds and they are taking in the fag end of the Shrewsbury season. The sport there has been better than ever in all respects this year, ..Last -week witnessed the downfall of more favorites than usual, only fourteen winning in six days. Tills brought the total up to seventy-six thus far out of one hundred and eighty-nine races run. Upon only three occasions since the meeting ..opened have all the choices been bowled over in a day and one of these occasions was last Friday. The layers, however, are still in arrears and it appears as though the larger ones are destined to wind up that way. Twenty odds-on choices have gone to the post since Thanksgiving day and It has been ,an even break with them, ten winning and ten losing. One hundred and eighty-two owners have participated in the distribution of the purse money at Jefferson Park and the J. O. Talbott stable has taken down the most, ,399. Thirty-one owners have won ,000 or more. The Talbott horses are now running in the name of S. A. Clopton, their trainer and they have been registered this way for the Fair Grounds meeting also. Although out of commission for the remainder of the meeting, jockey Frank Coltiletti is practically certain tt head the riders and thus win the gold split-second stop watch of fered by the Jefferson Park management for the leading jockey. He has won twenty-three races, while C. Robinsoii and J. Butwell, who are closest to him, have won twelve races each. Coltiletti was absent from the saddle the greater part of last week, due to a fall on Tuesday. When he came back on Friday he was banished for the rest of the meeting for rough riding. He rode only one winner. Jockey Merritt Buxton was the most successful rider last week, as he scored six times. An even hundred jockeys have accepted mounts at Jefferson Park this meeting to date. No change was noted today in the condition of clerk of the scales Wash Norvell, who has been off duty since Christmas day due to illness. His ailment is said not to be of a serious nature. Julius Boeder hiis been acting in his stead since he was taken sick.
