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3 » HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF k Q After the practical re-building of the starule of the Saratoga Springs Racing Association last year and the erection of the luxurious club house, it seemed there was little left to be done for that beautiful racing ground, but more has been done. The meeting at this delightful resort opens on July 29 this year and Thomas Clare will have the course looking at its best long before that opening date. One of the additions to the accommodations for the public, which will be greatly appreciated, is the opening of another gate on he Union Avenue side of the course. The property has always been well supplied with gates, but the constantly growing popularity has, on occasions, caused some confusion by those who motor tor the grounds — and that is the general method at Saratoga. To add still further to their comfort and convenience in entering and leaving the grounds with a minimum of delay, this new gate has been opened. This is something that will appeal to the public and something else that is of vastly more importance to the horsemen is the re-soiling of the racing strip from the half mile post to the sixteenth post in the stretch. That was a portion of the course that gave some trouble last year, but with the re-soiling it offers an even surface for the entire circuit of the course and it will take an unusual spell of wet weather to have any serious effect on the going. Another big thing that has to do with the trainers rather than the public is the work that has been done at the "Oklahoma course" adjoining Horse Haven. There a brand new steeplechase course has been constructed for the schooling of the steeplechasers. This is equipped with seven regulation jumps and they are duplicates of those found on the big course the other side of Union Avenue. This building of a course at "Oklahoma" will relieve that regular course of the schooling exercises that frequently worked some havoc when green horses crashed through the fences and cut up the turf badly. The new course will take care of all the jumpers that could be accommodated in the regular field of the association, and it will be possible to complete the schooling and training of a steeplechaser there. And the beautifying of the wonderful course with its flowers and shul l:ery is going on apace until right now it is taking on all the charm of a racing season. Already there are some horses on the ground and at Horse Haven, while during July many other stables will put in an appearance and trainers will get down to the actual work of preparing their charges for the sport. And while the Saratoga Springs Association will make its usual bid for patronage through the month of August, there has come an effort by the Chicago Business Mens Association to keep the good horses racing at Hawthorne during August. Time was when Saratoga enjoyed alone the racing time for Its delightful mid-summer sport, but since Chicago has come back to the turf so magnificently, it is offering a lively competition for horses. There are good ones enough for both sections and certainly there is abundant patronage for both, while this year, the inducements offered at Hawthorne will surely keep many a good horse in Chicago through August. In addition to the liberal program of stakes for the meeting, it has been announced that the daily purse will be two of ,200 each, two of ,300. and one each of ,400. ,500 and ,000. This naturally is the program for such days when there is no stake or special race down for decision, which would take the place of the ,000 handicap. Such liberality can not fail to obtain better horses than ever before, for the summer racing at Hawthorne, and this popular course is sure to have one of the most notable meetings in its history. Of course, there is sure to be disappointment over the defeat of the racing legislation for the state of Florida, but it does not mean that the state will be without its sport. The situation in Florida is the same as it was before the introduction of the racing bills that all went down to defeat. It was shown last winter, by the Miami Jockey Club, in Dade County and l y Frank Keeney, at the course which bears his name, in St. Johns County that it was poaaJMa to carry on the racing without offending the existing laws. Already it has been announced that the Miami Jockey Club will conduct racing at iis Hiakah course as it did la.t winter, and it is also promised that the sport will be a bit more elaborate. That seems entirely possible for there were doubts of it being possible to have the latest meeting and for that reason several horsemen and sportsni. n were timorous about making the trip to Miami. With the meeting of last winter as a precedent there will not be the same doubts and it will certainly mean that a better lot of horses will be on hand, while many more sportsmen of importance will be attracted. Just now the question for Florida appears to be one of the method of wagering on the races. There is a strong following against the pari-mutuel system by those who «ee greater prosperity by the employment of the "oral" system of wagering, while the machines have many friends. There never is a chance anywhere to bring these two factions together ;iiid undoubtedly this division may be set down as the reason for the failure to obtain racing legislation at Tallahassee. Risht up to the opening of last season doubts were freely expressed of the meeting ever being conducted. These doubts kept many sportsmen away, who, with an assurance that the sport would go along without interference, would have been on hand. And that was particularly true of racing stables. Until a few days before the opening there was a great shortage of horses and it was not until the meeting was under way that there came an abundance of material. And with the precedent of last season, it will mean that a greater number of stables and stall], s with better horses will be on hand for the season, which it is proposed will, as usual, being at some January date.
