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FLORIDA RACE SEASON OPENS MONDAY AT TROPICAL A t Approximately 1,600 Horses Stabled at Two Courses Near City . Coral Gables Track Offering 00 Minimum Purses-Predicting Season Even Better Than Last Years Record-Breaker Ten-Day Program Ready MIAMI, Fla., Dec. 13. The opening of the ninety-six day season of thoroughbred activity in this far southern resort is close at hand, with an overabundance of horses available for Tropical Parks twenty-day meeting, which opens next Monday. There are 900 horses registered at Hia-leah Park and about 700 at the newer course in Coral Gables. Out of this should come plenty of runners for the first session of the winter, even though it is not as important as the one which follows. Right now the best of the horses slated for early action are being primed for the six furlongs Inaugural Handicap at Tropical Park and the mile and seventy yards Coral Gables Purse, a three-year-old affair which is the secondary attraction. Wise Prince, a handy horse here last winter and a good winner in New England during the past season, is one of the most prominent training for the sprint affair. Town-send Martins Galapas and Bigey also have been showing becoming speed in their trials, and one of the pair is expected to go in the Inaugural. Galapas may be sent after the Coral Gables, as he is a better stayer than the other three-year-old. Jack Howard has Mythical King, a stake winner up North during the past season, moving along smartly, while Joe Schenck, a stablemate of Law-rin, has shown sufficient speed in training to suggest he will appear in the opening day feature. Black Look also is going along satisfactorily and George Phillips has several to draw from for the Maemere Farm. PLENTY HORSES AVAILABLE. The majority of horses which will participate in the sport at the two tracks during the winter ahead have been here for a week or more, though others are expected before the end of the month from Kentucky and as far west as California. The turf followers are arriving in a steadily increasing flow but greater Miami has spread out so much that they are absorbed in its spaces and the influx is not noted as quickly as it would be half a dozen years ago. The usual feeling of optimism over the outlook for the coming season prevails in these parts and there is every reason why this should be so. Last winter was a record-breaker and the one ahead should be even bigger, for unsettled conditions in Europe must keep many pleasure seekers on this side of the Atlantic. Then, too, it is probable the racing here will set a new high from a competitive standpoint, with more top grade stake winners slated to appear under colors than at any other time in Florida racing history. MINIMUM PURSE 00. Racing secretary Bob Shelley has drawn up his prpgram for the first ten days with the usual minimum 00 purse. There are thirty such affairs during the initial week among the forty-eight races to be decided. The majority of the other events have been endowed with 00 each, while the Inaugural Handicap and the Christmas Eve Handicap each will be worth ,200. Some improvements have been made at Tropical Park since the close of the spring session in April, but not many were needed, as the little plant was in excellent condition Continued on twenty-third page. FLORIDA RACE SEASON OPENS MONDAY AT TROPICAL PARK Continued from first page. I at that time. The track has been re-soiled and horsemen are hopeful that it will be safer than last winter, when several horses took tumbles. Preparing for extra moneyed characters the management has also installed eighteen new boxes in the clubhouse sector. There is considerable talk hereabouts concerning the new Hollywood track, with latest reports saying that Donald Hay would have charge of the mutuel department i.nd Fred Burton would serve as racing secretary. Both now are active in similar capacities at Charles Town. Work is progressing slowly on the property and it is the consensus that the plant hardly will be complete for the mid-January opening, though it may be finished sufficiently for the racing to be conducted.
