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LESS THAN THREE WEEKS Before New York Racing Season Opens at Jamaica Advanced Condition of Horses Presages Sport of High Qual ¬ ity Right from the Start NEW YOBIC N Y April 17 With the opening of the New York season of 1921 less than three weeks off local followers of racing are eager for news of the horses Published accounts of the gallops at Bclinont Park Jamaica and Aqueduct indicate that the horses are more forward in their work than in any year that can be recalled This means racing of high quality from the opening ai Jamaica on Friday May Owners and trainers are well pleased with the schedule for the current season Thpy approve particularly of the one period for Jamaica and prophesy that the sport at this course will be all the better because of it Not a detail has been overlooked for the comfort of the public at Jamaica where under the new management improvements have been inaugurated from meeting to meeting until the plant is as complete as any mile course in tlie United States The fact that the horses are under observation the entire route from grandstand and clubhouse has made friends for the Metropoli ¬ tan Jockey Club President Corbett and secretary Edwards went over the plant a few days ago in company with superintendent Maiier and say that they are ready for the crowds crowdsEven Even the most captious critics of the racing authorities must praise the spirit in which the mnnagersbf the various tracks Mmler Jockey Glub supervision have undertaken to keep abreast of the times The moment there was a rift in the clouds stakes nd purses were increased in order that the brcdtng industry might be accelerated Still brighter days have brought in their wake improve merits in plants and surroundings It can now be said witli truth that each of the five courses in 3few York lias reached a state of development which indicates that they arc not being operated as commercial enterprises enterprisesIn In this connection the hope has been expressed that some encouragement would be had to insure a continuance of the liberal policy which has prevailed for tlie last two years It is claimed that the sportsmanship displayed by the various managements in improving their properties should be rewarded Virtually no return has been received by the stockholders of the Westchester Bacing As Bqciation since its inception Onehalf of 1 per cent would cover the entire dividend payment Despite this however the sentiment was unanimous to maVe the course one of the beauty spots of the United States StatesOLD OLD AND NEW SARATOGA SARATOGAThe The deserted condition of the town of Saratoga before the present association for the improvement of Ihe breed of horses secured control and installed ttie splendid plant which Mr Wilson and his direc ¬ torate has made more extensive and beautiful year after year recalls the description of Epsom written by the great English novelist Charles Dickens in 1851 Ho said among other things thingsA A straggling street and undue proportion of inns a large pond a pump and a magnificent brick clock case make up with a few more touches not necessary to be given here The picture of the Metropolis of racing in England and the fountain of Epsom Salts For three hundred and sixtyfour dnys in the year a cannon ball might be fired from one end of Epsom to the other without endangering a human life On the three hundred and sixty fifth or Derby Day a population surges and rolls and scrambles through the place that may be counted in millions millionsSpeaking Speaking of the thoroughbred breeding industry at that time Dickens said truths over which we of the present day and generation may ponder Bae crs give employment to thousands According to dipt Bous undoubtedly the redoubtable admiral Of a later period there are upwards of 200 thor ¬ oughbred stallions and one thousand one hundred brood marcs which produce iibout eight hundred und thirty foals annually Of these there are gen ¬ erally three in the first class of race horses seven in the second class an J they descend gradually in the Kcale to tlie amount of four hundred and eight one half of which never catch the judges eye the remainder arc either not trained or are found un ¬ worthy at an early period periodSome Some idea of the growth of the blood stock in ¬ dustry in England is to be gleaned from these fig ¬ ures of breeding conditions of 70 years ago Com ¬ pared with our own present day supply of 500 stal ¬ lions 4500 mares and 841 foals registered in 1920 there is a crumb of comfort for all admirers of the clean bred horse in the United States despite the great losses sustained in the period between 1908 and 1912
