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AT HIGH TIDE ALREADY 1 Jefferson Park Meeting Now Surpassing Former Standards. Best Horses There Sent to the Post Before a Remarkable Attendance. I i i 1 NEW ORLEANS, La.. December 3. Al-though the Jefferson Park race meeting is , only three days old ample evidence has been . given that it will prove the best in the his- i tory of the Shrewsbury track. In former i years the meetings began slowly and gained momentum as they progressed, but this meet- : ing found conditions reversed in this respect, as top speed was reached on the opening : day. There are more visitors in New Orleans now for the racing than was the case in midwinter of 1921-22 and the number is in- creasing daily. Previous years found the better class of horses, with few exceptions, awaiting the opening of the Fair Grounds meeting, but such is not the case this year by any means. A majority of the higher-grade thoroughbreds, except possibly a few, that were raced hard right up to the end of the Maryland season and which will be given a much needed rest, will participate in the Jefferson Park racing. The feature races since the meeting began have demonstrated that there will be no drawback so far as furnishing headliner attraction is concerned. TALE XT FARES WELL. It is a difficult task to establish relative form of the horses racing here the first part 1 of the winter, as the fields are composed of racers from Kentucky, Maryland, Canada and various other sections. Thus far the talent has fared fairly well, as eight first choices won in eighteen races. Only two odds-on favorites have gone to the post and both have been returned winners. When the horses begin to show their ability in their respective classes against thoroughbreds that they have never met before, the followers of form will have a much better chance to select the winners. Judge Joseph A. Murphy, steward at Jefferson Park, has made it patent to owners, trainers and jockeys that the slightest infraction of the racing rules will not be tolerated this year, and he is sincere in this statement. Drastic punishment is in order for those who fail to heed his warning and they will have no one to blame out themselves. With the arrival from Maryland tomo-row of Joe McLennan, who will serve as placing judge, the official family at Jefferson Park will be complete. McLennan stopped off at his home for a day or two en-route south. Both Jefferson Park and the Fair Grounds were the Mecca for large crowds of racing enthusiasts this morning to watch the thoroughbreds at exercise. The yearlings at the latter track provided more than the usual amount of interest and their every move was closely watched. There is no stable of prominence here but what has one or more yearlings in it, and in some of them the youngsters are in the majority. Starter William Hamilton has announced that the yearlings will be schooled at the Fair Grounds from 10 to 11 oclock each morning. During this hour the older horses will be barred from the track. THIS WEEKS ATTRACTIONS. Beginning with the Kenner Purse, an allowance race for three-year-olds and over at the distance of one mile and seventy yards, which will be run tomorrow, a feature race worth ,000 is carded for every day this week. On Tuesday it will be the Harriman Handicap, for all ages, at five and one-half furlongs ; Wednesdays main race will be the St. James Handicap, for tnree-year-olds and over, with the distance one mile and a sixteenth. On Thursday the Ponchartraln Purse, with beaten allowance, for three-year-olds exclusively, at one mile, will occupy the post of honor. Horses of all ages will again hold forth in the Burnside Handicap, at three-quarters, on Friday, while the festivities will wind up on Saturday with the La Fourcho Handicap, over a route of one and one-eighth miles, for three-year-olds and over. A. L. Kirby departed last night for Louisville, Ky., where he has the Jefferson Livingston horses in winter quarters at Churchill Downs. He still retains possession of the contract on jockey Johnny Corcoran, despite numerous offers that ho has received for it. A twelve-car special horse train is due from Bowie, Md., early tomorrow morning. The managements of both tracks are in a quandry now as to how to take care of all the horses intended for racing here, while more continue to pour in daily.
