The Washington times., 1902-03-30
PRESIDENT ROWLAND
ON BENN[NG AFFAIRS
New Stake Events to Be
Added.
TO SECURE BEST HORSES.
Success of Benning Due in Large Part to
Efforts of President Howland-Oniy Ii
censed Club out of New York-Not a
Money Making Venture.

Horse racing in Washington seems now
to have been established upon a higher
plane than Il has enjoyed in many years,
and the Increasing attendance at each
meeting of the Washington Jockey Club
has encouraged the officials to endeavor
to furnish even better racing than ever
A great deal of the success that has
attended the meetings is due to the untir
ing efforts of President S. s. Rowland,
who in the face of many difficulties and
reverses, has worked persistently and
hard TO accomplish an end, which to many
other men would have seemed impossi-
BILE. The bad repute into which racing
had fallen in the District by reason of
the outlaw tracks that fourished a few
years ago, made the task of rehabilitat-
ing the sport here one OF great difficulty.
Mr. Howland's efforts finally met with
success, and after patiently enduring
many reverses and steady financial losses.
the Washington Jockey Club is now in a
position where it is enjoying deserved
patronage and is making money. To a
reporter for The Times. the other day Mr..
Howland outlined the plans for the future
meetings of the club.
Il wish to emphasize the fact" said he,
that the meeting of the Washington
Jockey Club at Benning is the only meet
ing that is licensed by the jockey club
outside Of the State of New York. The
Benning meetings are the beginning and
end OF the legitimate racing season. and
it will be our constant effort to place
them upon as high a plane as any other
meetings held in this country.
I'VE realize that it is difficult matter
to induce the owners of the best class of
horses to enter their runners at Ben
ming when the purses are not sufficient
TO warrant them in sending the horses a
long journey and incurring the risk that
necessarily attends such journeys. But
in order to offer a tempting inducement
we have decided to establish several
stake races that will doubtless cause
many owners of high-class thoroughbreds
to enter their horses at the Benning
meetings.
beginning with the meeting next fall.
We shall revive several stakes and add
sufficient money to them to make them
very attractive to owners and trainers.
THE new stakes to be run include the
Grand Consolation, for two-year- -olds; the
Dixie, for three-year -old colts and mares,
and the Vestal, for fillies three years old.
The Grand Consolation is revival of
the two-year- old stake which was run
at Pimlico a number of years ago. To it
We will add $500. which will make the
stake worth in the neighborhood of $4,000,
and We think, Will prove sufficient in
ducement to owners to enter their best
horses. The distance will be seven fur
longs, and We have already received as
surances from many owners of prominent
two-year- -olds that they will enter horses.
II will be the richest stake ever run for
in Washington, and, We hope, will be
appreciated by Washingtonians.
"The Dixie is also revival of one of
Pimlico's classic events. 1t will have
81 500 added, which Will make it worth
about 50 900 TO the winner, the distance
being a mile and three quarters. The
Vestal Stakes, for fillies, at mile and a
half, we hope, will attract a good class
of mares. 1t is a revival of the old
Maryland Jockey Club stake. To it will
be added 81 200 which will give it value
to the winner OF about $1,000
"'In addition to these three stakes, we
will continue the Washington Cup race
at two and e-quarter miles, and the
big steeplechase. which has proved So
popular with owners and the public in the
past
1T is our object to secure as good a
class OF horses to participate in the rae
ing at Benning as run at the New York
tracks in the fall and spring, and we
shall spare no effort to bring about this
condition. Not only have we determined
to offer attractive racing conditions and
rich purses. but we shall make the Ben
ming racecourse as pretty track as IT
cen be made with money and skill.
I'VE had very hard fight in the be
ginning TO induce the Washington public
TO patronize racing, but for the past two
years there has been very marked in
crease in the interest and attendance,
and especially is this the case with ladies.
Three or four years ago it was strange to
see twenty-five or thirty ladies N the
stand ON a race nay, but at the last
meeting ii was not uncommon to have a
thousand of fifteen hundred. The attend
ance at the last fall meeting showed an
increase of SO per cent over the previous
meeting, and the indications point to 4
larger attendance this spring than ever
before.
I'm addition to the new grabdstand,
we have made great many other i'm
provements, the total outlay since last
spring being more than $125.000. 1t is
our aim to eXpend all of our profit at the
races on improving the track and ap-
pointments. and wherever We can make
an Improvement that will add to the com
fort and convenience of the public we
shall do it,
"The racecourscs that are operated
under the direction of the Jockey Club
are all run upon the same plan. 1t is not
the primary object of the several asso-
Citations to make as much money as they
can. The desire is TO get a fair rate of
interest upon the amount of money in
vested, and with the surplus profit to i'm
prove the track appointments If possible,
and make the purses larger.
THE criticism has been made that the
fall meeting of the Washington Jockey
Club is held too late in the year. We
could get a license to begin our meeting
earlier, but then we could not get the
class of horses that we desire TO secure.
Our general policy will be to have seven
teen days racing in the spring aand eigh-
teen In the fall, and II We find that the
stake races that We have instituted meet
with favor. we shall establish others
equally as attractive. have no doubt
that within a short time the Benning
track will witness as good running races
as are seen at any of the New York
tracks in the spring aand fall and that
they will prove fitting openings and end
ings Of the legitimate racing season In
the East"