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I ORPEN BUYS FT. ERIE TRACK 0 Purchase Completes Independent Western Wheel in Dominion. 1 Long Branch Course Lengthened to One Mile With Clubhouse nave Three Racing Bodies. TORONTO, Ont., Nov. 18. An indication of the trend of events in Canadian racing circles in 1925 is foreshadowed by the purchase of the Fort Erie track of the Niagara Racing Association by the A. M. Orpen interests, who, at present, control Kenilworth, Long Branch and Dufferin Park. Coincident Avith the purchase of Fort Erie is the start of work in transforming Long Branch into a mile track, and the construction of a clubhouse commensurate with the needs of a mile oval. The present half-mile track will not be interfered with in any way, the mile track being built completely around the smaller track, which will hereafter be used by the standard-bred harness horses. The mile track and clubhouse will be ready for the spring meeting at Long Branch, which will immediately follow the spring meeting at Woodbine Park. The Orpen circuit next year will consist of Fort Erie, Kenilworth, Long Branch and Dufferin Park and will function independently of the Canadian Racing Associations. The only remaining. Canadian Racing Associations tracks in Ontario, Connaught Park being located in Quebec, are Woodbine and the Windsor Jockey Club, Devonshire Park operating as an independent as well as Thorncliffe. SITE MOST DESIRABLE. The old Windsor track will not likely operate in 1925, the club now carrying on negotiations with the city of Windsor in connection with its sale. The track is practically in the city and is a most desirable locality for high-class building sites. Woodbine and Hamilton are apparently the only Ontario survivors, but it would not be surprising if Thorncliffe and Devonshire join the old-established body. In the East the probabilities are that Dor-val, which recently passed into the hands of Leo Dandurand, Cattarinich and Latourneau, will hook up with Connaught Park in an eastern circuit along with Mount Royal and the surviving Montreal half mile tracks. Whether Blue Bonnets will join the eastern wheel or remain with the Canadian Racing Associations is not yet decided. The eastern circuit will, like the western one, operate on a date schedule prepared by itself and not dependent upon any allotment from the Canadian Racing Associations. All three interests, the Canadian Racing Associations, the Orpen interests and the eastern turf bodies are all working quietly, but the plans of each are pretty well established except in the case of Blue Bonnets and it looks like three strong independent racing associations for the 1925 Canadian season. There will be some conflicts, but each body will be careful enough of its own interests not to conflict too severely with each other, and the lead will probably be made by the Canadian Racing Associations as formerly.
