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HAVANA MEETING AT ITS HEIGHT Easily Best Ever Held on the Island American Patronage Exceedingly Large and Increasing. HAVANA, Cuba, December 29. With the advent of the holiday season the Oriental Park race meeting can Ik? said to be at its height, and it is easily the most successful meeting since the plant was first opened in the early months of 1915. Americans are already here in large numlers, and if they continue to arrive at the present rate the question of supplying accommodations will bceouie a most serious one. The hotels are already crowded and many of the newcomers have been forced .to seek quarters in the residential section of Vedado, or in the pretty town of Marianao, in which the race track is situated. City hotels are booked solidly up to April 1, and every room in the reconstructed Sevilla, conducted by the Bowman interests of New York, lias been reserved for a period of three months. This hotel, which will cater to the wealthy, will be formally opened New Years day. Naturally tliero has been an advance in the price of accommodations and living, but they have not readied the boom prices of large American cities. One can still live in Havana within a reasonable liriiit of expense. The delay in completing the clubhouse at the race track has not curtailed the gayety during big race days to any extent. The social element continues to patronize the sport, a section of the grandstand having been set aside for the club members. An innovation is the dancing pavilion at the western end of the stand. Work is being rushed on the clubhouse, and it is believed it will.be ready for the formal opening New Years day. President M. G. Menocal and his official family have sigiii- fied their intention of being present. Now that the stake fixtures are beins decided the racing is taking on an added interest, which was somewhat lacking during the first four weeks. After the New Years Handicap a stake race will be offered every week until the close of the season, March 2S. The Grand National Handicap and the Cuban Derby, both with aii endowment of 0,000, are easily the most valuable of the stakes. They will be run the closing weeks of the meeting. Both attracted a goodly number of entries. The Cuba Juvenile Stakes, the only stake for two-year-olds of 1920, also brought out a liberal list of homina- tions, and will have its running toward the latter part of the meeting. Among the thousands of Americans who are here for the racing season are many well-known ball iplayers, who are either here for pleasure or are employed in various capacities. Among the number are Larry Doyle, the Giant second baseman, who is employed in one of the books; Frank Schulte, the former Cub player, and who last season managed the Binghamton team of the International League, and who is also working for a bookmaker; Ed Hollv, shortstop with the St. Louis Cardinals; Hans Lobert. formerly witli New York and Cincinnati, and W. Sliipke, formerly with Washington, but later manager of the Omaha Western League Club. Holly is working in a book, while Lobert and Shipke are employed in the pari-mutuel department. The crack throe-year-old Col. Taylor, which J. T. Ireland raced so successfully in Kentucky and brought here last fall in the expectation of garnering many of the handicap purses, lias so far proved a disappointment. He has been under colors several times, but lias not succeeded in winning a race. The cqlt struck himself in his work during the early part of the season, from which injury lie has not yet fully recovered. Trainer Ireland lias also been unfortunate with his good four-year-old Dark Hill, which came here witli much promise. He also met with an accident that has stopped him. The injury will keep this horse from racing for some time. j i 1 i ! , , , , , . . . i , . : , , , , , .
