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Here and There on the Turf Ashland Proposed Valuable ValuableDerby Derby Relief Promised Canadian CanadianRacing Racing Bodies Still another Derby has been promised for this year This latest chance for the three yearolds is to come off t the new track at Ashland Ky The announced plan is that it will be of the value of 25000 This is the statement of J 0 Keene the ruling spirit of the TriStatc Fair and Racing Association This race has not yet been definitely decided upon but the suggestion will be put before the executive committee of the new racing organization within a few days and with the probability of its adoption adoptionThe The idea is to run this Derby on the open ¬ ing day of the meeting July 10 and coming at that time of the year it may prove an excellent test of the results of the other big threeyearold races previously decided since at that tune it should attract the best three yearolds from both the East and the We = t tSuch Such races should always be encouraged and it is fitting that the endowment should always be liberal Threeyearold contests over the real Derby distance of a pule and a half the mile and threeeighths of the Belmont Stakes or even the present mile and a quarter of tha Kentucky Derby or the mile and an eighth of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico call for what is best in the horse and are constant incentives to excel in breeding breedingShould Should the Ashland Derby be arranged as outlined by Mr Keene it will at once give the new racing ground an importance that would never be attained with mere overnight It is cheering news that the threat of the closing of several of the Canadian tracks is being dispelled J K L Ross has virtually promised that Blue Bonnets will conduct its meeting whils Connaught Park at Ottawa an ¬ other that held out small hope for racing will also conduct its meeting meetingThis This all came about by a conference in Ot ¬ tawa in which the track owners made a pro ¬ test gainst the excessive taxation of racing that was driving it out of the Dominion DominionThere There has been no repeal of the tax but a concession has been granted that will make it less burdensome It is this concession that has heartened the racing associations until the promise of ths continued meetings in 1923 has been made madeWhat What is of the greatest importance from the conference is the coLviction that there was no desire to tax the racing associations out of existence It began to look as though taxation was being pihd on as a way of elimin ¬ ating racing altogether Now that Jacob Nicol the provincial secretary has recom ¬ mended concessions to the associations it is shown that taxation did not have prohibition of racing as its real aim aimIt It would be a calamity to the turf of this continent and of the thoroughbred breeding interests if racing was to be banished from Canada It has long been a most important outlet for the breeders on this side of the Great Lakes and it has for a long time been a delightful racing ground ior many American owners The danger of a general closing down was a real one and had it not been for the successful conference conducted at Ottawa racing would have been so seriously curtaihd that many of the stabhs that year after year have been going into Canada for the summer campaign would have had to seek other fields of endeavor for their horses horsesWith With this desired conclusion of the efforts to obtain relief it will not ba long before there will be announcement of the dates for the Canadian circuit and i doubtless will be found that few tracks will be missing from the list
