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Here and There on the Turf Chicago Racing Situation Some Unpleasant Recent RecentDevelopments Developments Peaceful Racing Revival RevivalImperilled Imperilled Until recently it seemed to be fairly well settled that Chicago lovers of racing could look forward to a definite local racing pro ¬ gram of a spring and a fall meeting at Haw ¬ thorne and an inauguraal meeting of the New Washington Park Breeders Association over its new track at Riverdale in June This seemed a moderate and sensible provision for a great city long deprived of racing and now none too well assured of its complete restora ¬ tion although the general outlook seemed cheerfully hopeful hopefulNow Now comes a disturbing and threatening complication It is correct to say that any or ¬ ganization of citizens of Illinois has just as much right to start a race track and announce a race meeting as any other organization hav ¬ ing the same purposes in view But there is a right and a wrong way to go about it In a delicate situation peaceful cooperation is the only road to success Certainly Chicago racing or the successful revival of Chicago racing calls for cooperation along peaceful wise and friendly lines But a newly organ izcd body the Washington Park Jockey Club has entered the field in a way quite sugges ¬ tive of a chip of defiance on its shoulder That is plainly bad medicine and led the Chi ¬ cago Sunday Tribune to say sayThe The Illinois racing situation may need the services of a physician soon An ailment which threatens to become serious has de ¬ veloped within the last few weeks weeksIt It all has to do with the renewal of the American Derby most famous in its time of all turf classics classicsTwo Two Washington Park associations are now actively in the field and each asserts it will stage the renewal of this great race One is the new Washington Park Breeders Association which plans to build a million and a half dollar track at Riverdale work on which the pro ¬ moters say will start within the next thirty days I IThe The other is the Washington Park Jockey Club which has as its secretary William E Golden The latter organization has already printed advertisement in turf publications forj entries Secretary Golden says he holds an option on two sites both ideal locations for racing plants plantsThe The two organizations have been incor ¬ porated under the laws of Illinois The Wash ¬ ington Park Breeders Association has prob ¬ ably made more progress than the Jockey Club bearing the same name Its backers say they have close to 1000000 already subscribed and will have their racing plant constructed and ready for operation as early as June 1 They plan to run the American Derby on the third Saturday in June JuneJudge Judge Joseph A Murphy presiding stew ¬ ard of the winter meeting now in progress in New Orleans is one of the moving spirits in the organization organizationIn In thn meantime Bradley Wilson general manager of the Devonshire and Dade Park tracks in Canada and Kentucky is viewing the situation in Chicago from the side lines He admits he is here to interest himself in the local racing situation He would like to be ¬ come affiliated with at least one of the Chi ¬ cago tracks There have been rumors that he planned to head an organization which will build still another new racing plant on Chica ¬ gos north side sideBut But Mr Wilson is likely to remain on the side lines until the local situation takes on a different color He sees the need of a parent organization to control all efforts Chicago citi ¬ zens are making to bring back the thorough ¬ bred sport Until such an organization exists he can see but little hope for racing to come back here and in downstate cities on a big scale The organization to control racing should be strictly a social body Mr Wilson says It cannot interest itself in any one or two tracks except to insist that the sport is con ¬ ducted along the highclass lines to which Chicago is entitled It must rule and dictate with a firm hand or the sport cannot come back and long exist existThe The Washington Park squabble is the one attracting the attention of local thoroughbred race boosters now however and until it clears little progress is likely to be made Both organizations say they are ready to go ahead with their plans that there is little chance of their fight becoming serious and some indica ¬ tions point to a possible mutual understanding soon soonIf If it should cpme at an early date little harm may result according to persons inter ¬ ested in the local revival of racing
