view raw text
NEW CHURCHILLDOWNS Stupendous Improvements Nearly Finished Enhance Its Beauty. Clubhouse Completely Remodeled Paddock One of the Largest in the Country. t IXOTSVLLLE, Ky. March 22. The stupendous program of improvements which general manager Matt J. "Winn undertook last autumn at Churchill Downs in order to provide more adequate accommodations for the tracks rapidly growing: patronage, is now being carried to completion, and as a result of. this enterprise upon the part of the Kentucky Jockey Club, Churchill Downs will rank as one of the most spacious, the best arranged and prettiest tracks in the country. The improvements have entailed a vast outlay of money. The construction of a new paddock and racing secretarys office, and a dining hall for grandstand patrons, and an extension to and complete remodeling of the clubhouse, arc the chief items in Colonel "Winns scheme if improvements. Much work also has been expended in beautifying the grounds surrounding the grandstand and clubhouse. The clubhouse has been completely remodeled and enlarged and when the work is completed the change effected will be found to bo of so thorough and radical a character as to make the old arrangements little more than a memory. "Whatever: has been done, and it is a great deal, has been done with a view to beauty of structure and of setting, no less than to convenience, and the patrons of the sport, particularly those entitled to entry to the clubhouse, will discover an altogether changed aspect. The building itself has been extended westward a matter of four hundred feet, the structure being double decked throughout. The old dining room has been closed and in its place back of the clubhouse and adjacent to the new paddock, has been erected a complete new building, two stories in height, the upper floor of which is to be the club dining room, while below there will be the accommodations required for placing and paying off bets of those who like to wager a little on their fancy. PADDOCK ALREADY COMPLETED. The paddock which is completed contains twenty-two stalls and is one of the largest in the country. It is located to the right of the main gate back of the grandstand and adjacent to the line that forms the border between grandstand and clubhouse enclosures. Clubhouse patrons will now be enabled to view the horses in the paddock without having to walk a considerable distance through the grandstand enclosure as heretofore. The roadway leading from paddock to the track over which the horses will have to pass when entering or leaving the paddock is situated between the clubhouse and grandstand and will form the boundary between thoso sections. Therefore both classes of patrons can view the horses as they pass in review. The building formerly used as the racing secretarys office and jockeys room will hereafter be used as a ladies rest room and hospital. The new secretarys office is located close to the new paddock and is larger than the old building. The upper floor will bo devoted to jockeys quarters and will have all modern improvements, including shower baths. On the site of the old paddock has been built a new and ornate one-story building and will be used exclusively as a dining hall for grandstand patrons. This building is 150 by 65 feet. The former dining room under the grandstand will be discontinued. There are a number of ot,her improvements being made, all of whieh will tend to the comfort of the patrons and serve to still further beautify the plant. Commencing with the spring meeting the cashiers of all mutuel tickets will be located in the "baby grand stand" in front of the old paddock. AltltlVALS FROM NEW ORLEANS. Additional arrivals from New Orleans were unloaded Saturday morning, the newcomers including the stables of It. L. Rogers, A. P. Foley, F. Swain and J. S. Ownbey. Rogers, who brought Miss Meise, Ramkin and Devil Girl, had a fairly successful winter, but J. S. Ownbey failed to win a purse at the southern tracks. F. Swains list included Repeater and Green Gold, while A. P. Foleys stable embraced Childs Play, Untried and Trantula. Jockey J. D. Mooney, who piloted Black Gold to victory in the Louisiana Derby, arrived Saturday from New Orleans and will remain here until Lexington opens. Mooney has a high opinion of Black Gold and declared that the colt could have won the Louisiana Derby by ten lengths had he been urged. He said that the son of Black Toney I won his other two races this year without any special effort. A special horse train that is scheduled to leavo Havana next Monday will include the stable of O. 13. Mueller, Louisville turfman, which, under trainer Jim Moodys care, has had a. most successful season at the Cuban . track. J. B. Cloher returned Saturday from a visit to Hot Springs, Ark. His stable has been at the Churchill Downs track all winter in charge of "William Reed. The list includes "Willow Tree, Sandalwood, Post Dispatch, Lucknow and a two-year-old by Great Britain Southern League, that has been named Southern Tea, and an unnamed filly by St. Rock Margaret Young. Reed is also handling the horses Winding Through, War Prize and Shindy. Starter William Hamilton has arranged to begin schooling the two-year-olds at the local tracks next week. During his absence at Bowie, Hamilton will have two of his assistants here to school the youngsters.
