The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-31
NEXT YEARS. OUTLOOK
FOR GRAND CIRCUIT
Doubt Exists as to Whether All of
the Western Tracks VIII
Stay In.
OBNOXIOUS RACE LAW
Cleveland May Drop Out of Cir
cult Because of the Ohio
Racing Laws.
OBNOXIOUS RACE LAW

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 3d.. ]. Cam
pau's call for a meeting of the stewards of
the Grand Circuit at Cleveland on jan 20
has caused renewed talk among horsemen
concerning the outlook for high-class har-
ness racing East and West in 1904 1t is Gus
tomary for the representativ Of the Grand
Circuit tracks at their annual meeting each
year to agree upon racing dates, purses TO
be offered and other preliminaries for the
summer campaign. Ordinarily the confer
ence is a routine affair. but there are some
clouds on the harness racing horizon at the
present time and doubt exists as to wheth-
er all of the tracks in the circuit of 1903
will be the scene of sport for the trotters
and PAGERS that go down the line next sum-
mer.
Cleveland, one of the Oldest and strong
est of Grand Circuit cities, had the first
unsuccessful trotting meeting in twenty
years last season, owing to the fact that
local authorities in the suburban town of
Chenille, where the track is situated, in
terfered with the poOl-Selling and book
making. Public betting on horse races is
forbidden by law in Ohio, but the statute
had been a dead letter for many years
until suddenly enforced by the Chenille
reformerS last July. With pool-selling pro-
hibited the Grand Circuit meeting was a
fiat failure financially and the racing fell
far below the usual standard
The struggle TO enforce the obnoxious
law and TO prevent its enforcement caused
bitter feeling on both sides, and Cleveland
horsemen say there is little likelihood that
the local authorities will be any more toll
Grant in 1904 than they were in 1903, IL
the laws against betting remain the same.
A movement is on foot TO obtain a racing
law in Ohio somewhat similar to the one
in this State, but its success on the eve of
a presidential campaign is regarded as be-
ing doubtful.
Whether the Cleveland people would go
ahead with their Grand Circuit meeting in
the event Of failure TO obtain either rae
ing law or an assurance of tolerance from
the local authorities is question not yet
answered, but ii is feared that the famous
old track may drop out OF line rather than
face such conditions as existed last year.
Such an event would be staggering blow
to harness racing interests, and might
wreck the Western end OF the Grand Cir
cult, according to the opinion of many
horsemen. For generation harness racing
in Cleveland has been in the hands of rep
resentative men, has attracted the best
people in the city and the best horses in
the whole country, scoring a greater sue
cess financially, socially and from sport
ing point Of view than in any other town
In the country, perhaps.
A halt at Cleveland would, under the
present formation of the Grand Circuit,
leave Detroit alone In the West, in a posi-
ton where ii could scarcely hope 20 at
tract the Eastern horses, and would neces-
sarily inJure the annual meeting at the
Crosse Pointe course very materially.
To make matters look for the
Western tracks there is some doubt about
BuffalO's future in the Grand Circuit The
meeting there last summer was not calcu-
lated to strengthen the sport in the Queen
City, and II was not a financial success, the
trotters having to compete with the run
ners at Fort Erie and other strong attrac-
tions, which operated to keep the attend
ance down. 1t has been rumored that no
Grand Circuit meeting would be held at
Buffalo in 1904, but those who should know
say that this is far from the truth and
that a meeting will be given on a larger
scale than last year, with backing suffi-
GENTLY influential to prevent a clash Of
dates with the runners at Fort Erie and
with the Buffalo baseball games.