view raw text
TURMOIL AT BLUE BONNETS Meeting Nearly Called Off Over Purse Controversy. " Montreal Jockey Club Will Raise Values if First Three Days Racing Warrants It. mm - i MONTREAL, Quebec, September 8. Up until two oclock this afternoon it looked as if the meeting scheduled to be held at the Blue Bonnets course by the Montreal Jockey Club would be declared off. This condition was brought about by the horsemen, who demanded that the club give no purse of less than ,200 during its meeting:. The matter was laid before the club on Sunday last by Jack Phillips and W. Fitzgerald, who acted as a committee for the horsemen. The matter was taken under advisement by a committee of the Montreal Jockey Club and this morning the following statement was .posted in the secretarys office: "September 8, 1920. The committee of the Montreal Jockey Club will consider raising the value of the purses if. the first two or three days warrant it. Signed "W. W. NORTHEY, "Secretary-Treasurer." . This did not satisfy the borsemen and those who had signed the petition made no entries. Despite this the officials in the secretarys office suc-ceeded. ingettingout n good, program,- considering, -tltevlinndieap under -wh ich they vorksd. The list of entries for the seven races were issued at three oclock, witli the Kings Plate arid a steeplechase as features. The fields are well matched and promise keen contests. The Montreal Jockey Club during its fourteen years of existence has had a hard struggle, and during this period meetings have been given with no profits to the stockholders. The club is still in debt, but despite this the purses have been increased steadily, and in comparison with the liberality shown by some of the other racing associations in Canada the Montreal Jockey Club stands out. While there is no denying the fact that the horsemen are finding the increased cost of racing a stable quite a burden, still to disinterested ones it would appear that if the horsemen were satisfied witli ,000 purses at a place like Devonshire Park they should not demand ,200 purses at a place like Blue Bonnets. The matter will be thrashed out in the next few days and in the meantime the club will run out the meeting the best it can. It is understood that the whole matter will be referred to the Canadian Racing Associations. J. W. Haley has added the steeplechaser Algardi to his string. He claimed the horse after he won at Connaught Park yesterday of F. M. Taylor for ,500 for J. W. Murphy. J. G. Wagnon, acting for the Pelican stable, disposed of the platers American Eagle to Blair Mock and Sherman A. to Carl Drake. The racing qualities of Sherman A. had been leased to T. Hodge during the Mount Royal and Connaught Park meetings. Mr. Wagnon left for New York this morning to hold a conference with his employer, W. H. Rower, owner of the Pelican stable. The officials of the meeting will be: F. .7. Bryan, Colin Campbell, William Hendrie and William Riggs, stewards. Francis Nelson, steward representing the Canadian Racing Associations. Judges, J. II. Campbell, "W. M. Nortliey. Starter, Harry Morrissey. Paddock judse, J. J. Mackessey. Patrol judge, William Martin. Clerk of the scales, Joseph McLennan. Racing secretary, W. Northey.
