Impressions Of Tijuana: Judge Francis Nelson and Starter Harry Morrissey Return from Mexican Track., Daily Racing Form, 1921-05-13

article


view raw text

IMPRESSIONS OF TIJUANA Judge Francis Nelson and Starter Harry Mor rissey Return from Mexican Track Judge Francis Nelson and starter Harry Morrisey were in Chicago yesterday eu route from Tijuana to their homes Both were well pleased with their experiences at the Mexican track and concerning his impression of the Tijuana meeting Mr Nelson said saidIt It was our first winter in California and judged by the last half year in San Diego all that has been said in praise of our glorious clim ¬ ate is well within the mark It is never hot and never cold it never rained during racing hours anyway until the one hundred and twentythird day and one experienced not a single moments physical discomfort because of any weather condi ¬ tions tionsThe The racing bad many unusual and interesting features even to experienced racing people Horse utabled at Tijuana numbered 854 airlOluT airlOluTarid arid fliey came from all parts of the country Many were westernbred and many had iicver been east of Utah or Arizona Only nine of tlicm were not in the Stud Book and these were excluded from rac ¬ ing They were of all kinds from Joe Blair the Rocky Mountain wonder and champion halfmiler of the southwest to Be Frank winner of the La tonia Cup at two miles and a quarter The racing1 program skillfully devised by Leon Wing racing secretary and bandicapper provided contests on the flat over distances from the threeeighths of the first twoyearold races to the two miles of the Tijuana Cup won by Sailor On many days there were seven races at a mile or over overThere There was hurdle racing and heat racing the latter at fiveeighths and at a mile both styles being novelties to the present generation of race ¬ goers The obstacle races provided a new Ameri ¬ can record by the steadygoing old mare Hickory nut and brought to notice one jumper that seems sure to make a success through the field That was William Walkers Coronado a bold and skill ¬ ful fencer possessed of high speed on the flat He will be seen in action in the Woodbine steeple ¬ chases chasesLARGE LARGE FIELDS THE RULE RULEFields Fields ruled large and it is probable that thp occurrence of fortyfive horses going to the post in three consecutive races was never duplicated anywhere on this continent The competition was I of the keenest kind and a gratifying feature of it all was the absence of rough riding In the halfyear which the meeting covered were urn over 900 races sometimes counting heats as such as many as ten in u day In these races the starters would average about ten making about 9000 i tinners and the most serious result of any injury received during tho running was a broken arm following which jockey T McCullough rode a dozen of winners before the end of the meeting Only two disqualifications were necessary one on the flat the other in a hunlle race and both of ths hordes that finished in a place placeThe The starting of Mr Harry Moirissey and the handicapping of judge Leon Wing were shining instances of efficiency at the highest staiWard Many horses that came to the starter had spent last summer n the bushes where the rule is to bust through and run over em when they get to the post which was not a barrier Not a few of the riders had been through the same school and were a little out of practice in the matter of obedi ¬ ence at the gate With a leaven of that material and following his regular system of allowing his assistants no whips Mr Morrissey still went through a period of six months producing invariably starts beyond criticism criticismMr Mr Wing succeeded in bringing down his handi ¬ cap fields heads apart with tho winner in doubt until in the final strides and that whether the handicap material was sparse or plentiful plentifulPresident President Coffroths policy of regarding the of ¬ ficials as supreme in their own fields was adhered to unswervingly and it was undoubtedly due to his steadfastness in that position that the meeting went through its long period with so little need for disciplinary action Considerable difficulty faced the management at one period because of the pass jwrt situation and the views of the Mexican authori ¬ ties but the resourcefulness and courage of Mr Coffroth overcame them all and carried tin meeting to one day longer than the announced 125 days daysTho Tho San Diego newspapers morning and evening gave the racing a generous and intelligent support That the local press is enterprising is evidenced by the fact that patrons returning on the lace train every afternoon were supplied with the extra edi ¬ tions containing the full form charts for the eight races of the day Their support of racing was not purely local either The San Diego Union was one of tho few daily papers in the country that pub ¬ lished on Sunday the tabulated pedigree of Black Servant the Kentucky Derby winner


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1921051301/drf1921051301_1_5
Local Identifier: drf1921051301_1_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800