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SELECT BUSINESS MANAGER John D. Stelling Appointed by Pacific Coast Jockey Club. Recent Rains Have Little Affect on Track F. J. Kclley Horses Not to Bo Shipped to Tijuana. 6 SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., December IS. The preliminary organization of the Pacific Coast Jockey Club having been effected, the direction of the business management has been turned over to John D. Stelling, well known in shipping and financial circles of this city. The appointment of Mr. Stelling by the directors of the local racing body will relieve secretary Howard Spreckels and his assistant, George Lafitte, of the burden they have borne since the inception of the Tanforan enterprise. Mr. Stelling will be known as the business manager and will work in conjunction with Robert F. Leighton, racing manager. The entire control of the operating end of the track will be in the new managers hands, just as the racing is under the direction of "Bob" Leighton. Howard Spreckels, son of director Rudolph Spreckels, will remain as an active member of the organization by carrying out his duties as secretary. Construction manager A. M. Allan has made fine progress in the fitting up of the plant for the sport to open some time in April and in his big task has had Howard Spreckels and Mr. Lafitte as valuable co-workers. Just now he is occupied with the placing of the judges stand, timers stand, patrol judges box and other necessary structures at the course. It is planned to have the judges stand about 180 feet from the first turn, which will give the jockeys sufficient time to get their mounts straightened away in races started near the pagoda before reaching the bend. The officials stand will be one story in height. A stand for stewards, somewhat similar to structures of that sort on Australian tracks, may be built a short distance from the judges stand. PATROL JUDGE BOX. The patrol judges box, in which racing manager Leighton is taking great interest, will be on the lines of the stand for the "eagle eye" observer at Santa Anita, It is being built midway between the far turn and the last turn and is of sufficient height to give the patrol judge a fine view of the horses as they come bounding down the back-stretch, around the bend and into the front stretch. Track superintendent W. W. Mendenhall joins with the racing manager in elation over the patrol box. The superintendent has been a student of not only breeding but track construction for many years and his judgment is held in high esteem by construction manager Allan and Mr. Leighton. Recent rains have not affected the main course to any extent and it looks as though the new top dressing has converted the track into one that will never really get deep in mud. The practice has been adopted of using the training course, which is inside the main track, . following heavy rains. The training course, or "exercise" track, as the trainers call it, slows up but little in bad weather, as was shown the other day when George Lane, owner of the Bar U Ranch, witnessed a work-out of his mare Carabcsse. The racy looking daughter of Fairy King and Cyrene made almost as good time as she would have shown if there had been no downpour. J. W. Marchbank, who is training his own string at present, is preparing to ship to Tijuana. The Frank J. Kelley stable probably will not go to the border track, as had been planned at one time.
