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UT0NIA MEETING BEGINS TODAY ♦ • Kentucky Racing Scene Shifts From Louisville to Popular Covington Course — Inaugural Handicap to Be Run Over a Track Deep in Mud _ — « LATONIA, Ky., June 4. — Latonia, among the most famous American race courses, comes into usage for another spring meeting on Tuesday. The noted old track, where giants of the turf have staged many a notable turf struggle during the almost half a century it has been operated, today was rainsoaked as it lay in complete readiness for the first day of the twenty-nine day meeting that will be opened tomorrow. During the night and morning the first severe rains that have visited this section in weeks almost completely saturated the course and the racing ground was deep in mud as great corps of men set about finishing preparations for the new meeting. There was further threat of rain during the afternoon and, regardless of a =® to favorable weather, — — - - change more adverse going is certain to prevail for the running of the first days races. The new meeting will be inaugurated with usual extensive keen interest well in evidence throughout this section. As a barometer of enthusiasm, the unprecedented number of requests for reservations indicated an interest exceeding that of any previous year and officials of the Latonia Jockey Club might well feel elated over the outlook for a successful meeting. In their endeavor to have Latonia maintain its foreplace in the sport, officers of the club have carried out an expensive program of improvements that bring the plant to a higher stage of efficiency and beauty than ever before. It has been completely renovated and the painters brush and gardeners work have combined to add further to its long envied beauty. Beneath the dark clouds that flitted overhead this afternoon it stretched out as a picture course and if the sun shines tomorrow its attractiveness will be an invitation that no one could resist. Col. M. J. Winn, executive director, today supervised final preparations for the meeting. He was assisted by all of the other officers of the club and they were unanimous in declaring everything to be in absolute readiness. The seasons initial program, the field for the first race of which will be called to the barrier at 2 oclock, has its principal attraction in the sixteenth running of the ,000 added Inaugural Handicap. The stake drew an overnight field of seven from among the four-year-olds and older horses and their meeting, at a mile and a sixteenth, promises to develop a keen race. Continued un twentieth page. LATONIAS OPENING TODAY Continued from first page. The exacting going in prospect is regarded to the particular fancy of J. W. Parrishs Rolled Stocking and W. H. Whitehouses Royal Julian, winner of the Grainger Memorial Handicap, yet trainers of other intended starters seem well satisfied with the chances of their respective starters- C. B. Shaffers Barbara, H. P. Headleys Helens Babe, D. T. Mattlacks Genial Host, Mrs. F. J. Uhleins Broad Axe and C. C. and G. Y. Hieatts Lancer are the other acceptances. The stake had seventy-one nominations and, with seven starters, will have a gross value of ,120. Last year it resulted in a victory for S. A. Cowans Boon Companion, with Hydromel second and Creek Indian third. Other winners include some of the leading horses of the various years. As. the secondary feature the management will offer the Gibson Hotel Handicap, at three-quarters of a mile, for five swift three-year-olds and over. Each of the quintet is expected to find track conditions to his liking and, under their assigned weights, they seem very closely matched. Wisdom, Don Diego, Scotland, Color Sergeant and Energy make up the field. Contention is plentiful in the remaining races, three of which drew fields of good size. Additional rich features to be renewed during the meeting include the 5,000 added Latonia Derby, 0,000 added Latonia Oaks. 0,000 -added Independence Handicap, and Clipsetta Stakes, Harold Stakes, Enquirer Handicap. Quickstep Handicap and Cincinnati Trophy of ,000 added each. The meeting will be ihe first under the regulation requiring payment of mutuel bets to the penny and arrangements for signifying the pay-off were completed today. All of the price boards are of recent installation.
