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Here and There on the Turf Canadian Racing in Danger Prospective Abandonment of ofMeetings Meetings MeetingsKentuckys Kentuckys New Starters Interest in Louisiana Derby There is a real prospect that racing in Can ¬ ada will be seriously curtailed this year be ¬ cause of the excessive tax that has been levied on the sport A statement that such might bs the case was made by some of the asso ¬ ciations last fall after it was proved that a considerable loss had been sustained on the racing season Now it comes again and un ¬ less there s relief from some part of the taxes it appears that there will bz some serious lapses ih the circuit on the other side of the Great Lakes LakesRacing Racing has thriven wonderfully in Canada until now it plays a most important part in the turf affairs of this continent This growth was directly responsible for the creation of the Canadian Breeding Bureau and the Ca ¬ nadian meetings have been a source of rich revenue to the country for a considerable Some of the most glorious history of the turf on this continent can be written about Woodbine Park track at Toronto and ths Ontario Jockey Club It is this famous or ¬ ganization that has continuously kept alive the Kings Plate formerly run as the Queens Plate a race that was inaugurated in 1860 1860This This old race as well as many others of the Canadian fixtures are for nativebred horses and such races have influenced the breeding of the best No race in this or any other country means more to the Canadian sportsman than the Kings Plate and it has endured and was carried on without interrup ¬ tion right through the war time when Canada was depleted of its men of fighting age The Canadian turf gave up more to the war in men money and horses than came from any other calling but the continuance of the Kings Plate was the patriotic thing to do and it was continued Fortunately the Ontario Jockey Club will carry on regardless of what the other organizations may do doSome Some thirty years ago the Ontario Jockey Club just about told the tale of racing in Canada though there were some smaller meet ¬ ings at Hamilton Woodstock and some other points pointsThe The success of the pioneers was negligible and many meetings were conducted at a loss but they were continued Then came the opening of Windsor Fort Erie and some other courses Finally Blue Bonnets came into be ¬ ing at Montreal and there was again an awakening as American capital and American horses were attracted attractedThe The Canadian turf continued to grow until there were eleven mile tracks that operated All of this brought thoroughbreds from the United States The quality of the racing was improved by the improved quality of the horses until the Canadian circuit has grown into one of the most important This is the circuit that is so seriously menaced The appointment of William Snyder and William Hamilton as starters for the Kentucky circuit has been made It was just what waa expected after the deplored death of A B Dade and any other appointment would have been a surpriss Both of these starters have made good adequately through the winter rac ¬ ing at New Orleans and the fac that they work for one another adds greatly to the ef ¬ ficiency of each Considerable interest is being manifested in the coming Louisiana Derby at Jefferson Park and it will doubtless be a race of more im ¬ portance than any ever staged before over that track The threeyearolds on hand are close enough together in the matter of class to war ¬ rant the belief that it will be a good contest but on paper they hardly measure up to real Derby caliber The fact that they are not of a class with a few exceptions to be seriously considered in connection with either the Preakness Stakes or the Kentucky Derby does not detract anything from interest in the New Orleans race
