Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-28


The Reorganization of the Blood
Horse Association - Purchase OF
she COurse-HmprOvem upon it
The Spring Meeting-HOrses Pre-
sent-ProsPect for the Most Inter.
estirig Racing for a Great Many
Years.
At the expiration of the last Fall Meet
ing at the Nashville course, it was an
nounced that the lease for the course had
expired, and a proposition made to re-
organize the Nashville Blood Horse Associ-
alton, under charter from the Legisla-
ture, to purchase grounds suitable for a
race course, and to make the Association
permanent and useful to the stock raisers
OF the State and country. The enterprise
was presented to public consideration by
Gen. W. q. Harding, the leading stock
man ID the State, in an address of great
force. In view of the fact that there ia not
another permanent racing association or
club In the United States outside of Ken
lucky, and that almost every attempt to
that end elsewhere has sooner or later
proved failure, the proposition was
bold one. To succeed would require
about $4,000 cash. The matter
was taken in hand at once, ard
the required amount taken promptly. TIE
Association was organized by the election
OF Col. W. H. johnson, President: Gen.
w. G. Harding, B. F. Oockrill and DR..
W. A. Cheatham, Vice Presidents; Geo.
w. Da-den, Secretary, and Geo. S. Kin
ney Treasurer, all experienced and reliable
gentlemen. The Executive Committee,
prominent among whom are MIR. r. f.
Woods and Alb. Turner, Esq, was selected
from the most efficient among the stock
holders, and lave answered the iust ex-
pectations of the Association in the dis
charge of the exacting duties required of
them.
After viewing ali the sites about the city,
the Association finally selected the old
grounds, and purchased the same from M.
Burns Esq. The track, though not per-
laps the fastest, is the safest in the United
States, both for training and running. It
Is susceptible Of high improvements as q
track, and IN the present hands, will no
doubt be made the favorite track Of the
country, to owners of. horses and to the
public.
Upon concluding the purchase, thou oh
allowed but little time, the Association
proceeded to the work of Improvement.
Tho old stand was torn down, and new
one throughout erected of new materials,
and upon new design. 1t skirts
the track-nothing intervening to OBJ
struct the view of the speotator-and
allows everybody to witness the
start and conclusion Of each race,
as well as the movements of the
horses at every Jump during the
Nf tho Tho
fronts the Judges stand, the timers
occupy seats upon it-and nowhere in the
country can one be found which more ful-
ly insures the visitors all the advantages
OF The course. The appointments for the
ladies are every thing that can be desired.
A reception room carpeted and furnished
with luxurious -seats-a toilet room
with all desired convepiences, in
which servants will be in wait
ing to answer all wants-a lunch room,
where every delicacy may be commanded,
wholly separate from the other parts of the
stand-altogether the most elegant ar
rang ment we have ever seen. In the
stand the ladies also eDj y carpeted seats,
commanding a fdll view Of the course
and have a roOmy promenade. Nothing is
wanted to make their attendance at the
race meetings of the Association entirely
comfortable and agreeable. The arrange
nents for the members, the purchasers Of
quarter-stretch privileges, and for the gen.
eral spectators, are of the best and most
convenient kind, and cannot fail to be sat
isfactory.
In process Of erection and completion
are ranges Obstacles fox the accommodation
Of horses and their trainers-in all respects
commodious and suited to the purpose. In
fac, under the new order. there has been
general tralsmutatiOn of things at the
old track-all for the better, and to the
great improvement of turf facilities in this
section of the State. Whatever may be
the fate of other CLUBS, the Nashville Blood
Holse Association IS nov firmly and
enduTingly established, Towns its grounds
and improvements no rents to pay,
end we trust, in the course Of few years,
it will be able TO offer such purses, and
give to the world such performances as
will makeit tbs grand racing centre Of the
continent.
Already the impetus given by the new
organization is manifest n the presence Of
large number of noises that are to con-
test, during the second week III May, for
the laurels of the course. Th3 entriea to
the stakes are nume1Ous, being more than
| fifty-a large maj ority of them now on the
ground. There are also number, not in
the stakes, to contest foT the purEes. They
are all of the first ''strains" in the land,
and will contribute to the lustre OF the
turf. Besides those already here, there Ia
large number at Memphis, the present
week, that will be here 70 retrieve their de-
feats, or add to their honors. The entire
number will not probably fall short of
eighty. There being neither purses nor
stakes at this meeting for anything IN
der three year olds, the higher qualities Of
speed and endurance gill be brought out
Indeed we have had no races for many
years which, before hand, promised to be
so interesting and exciting as the Spring
meeting, 1871, Of the Nashville Blood
Horse Association.