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Twenty Years Ago Today Chief Turf Events of Jan. 7, 1904 Racing at New Orleans, Los Angeles and Oakland. At the annual meeting of the directors of the New Memphis Jockey Club S. R. Montgomery was re-elected president, an office which he has held continuously since the death of his father, Colonel H. A. Montgomery, founder of the club. Mr. Montgomery was also elected treasurer, to succeed J. M. Peters, deceased. M. N. Macfarlane, who has successfully conducted the affairs of the club since 1896, was re-elected secretary. Selection of presiding judge, starter and other officials for the Mon,-gomery Park meeting will be "made later. The year 1903 was one of unprecedented prosperity in the field of thoroughbred racing. It was thought that the high-tide mark had been reached in 1902, but in the course of the year just ended the imposing total of ,190,-450 was won by the runners, a splendid advance over the total of .,062,424 of the year 1902. The figures arc official except as to an estimate of 50,000 for meetings at Seattle, Brooklinc, Mass., Pimlico, the Georgia circuit, Los Angeles Fair meeting, Sacramento, Dallas, Petaluna and many hundreds of fairs, at which purses were hung up for the runners. Since at Seattle alone fully 00,000 was raced for, this estimate of 5350,000 is more than probably too low, but it is used conservatively to be on the safe side. New York alone was responsible for ,122,066, which sum includes Saratoga. Chicago comes next with 29,965, St. Louis gave 77,685 and San Francisco 14,070. New Orleans was well over the 00,000 mark ; Washington with 47,560 and Latonia with 35,700 came over the 00,000 figure. Great as -is this showing of 1903 it is already apparent that it is to be exceeded in 1904. The tendency is to increased offerings by all the long-established racing organizations and the advent of such clubs as the Kansas City Jockey Club, Los Angeles Jockey Club and Hot Springs Jcckey Club are factors that should serve to bring the total of 1904 very close to the ,000,000 in 1904, if it does not go beyond it.
