Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1904-07-22
GOOD RACING PROMISED
Meet at IrvlngtOn Park. Portland,
Will Open August 8.

PORTLAND, Ore, July 1s.-One OF
the Ionge ira emeetings ever attempt
ed in Oregon will open here on
August and continue to August %,
and possibly through the first two
weeks IN September. A large force Of
workmen are rushing the work Of get
ting Irvington race track in shape Ior
the coming meet. Already trainers
and owners are shipping their strings
In the track. and the officers Of the
MuItnomah Fair Association are pre-
pariug to stable 500 horses, the pick oil
those now racing at Seattle.
When President A. R. Diamond ana
the rest of the Multnomah Fair Asso-
citation officials talked Of giving
week racing last year, they were told
frankly by the local horsemen that the
racing game had received such
black eve in Portland that the public
would not turn out to see them. In
spite of this discouraging talk the
officials went on, gave the race meet
ing. proved conclusively that horses
could be raced and raced honestly, and
not only the people Of Portland paid
their money at the gate, but horsemen
from all over the state attended the
meeting. And when they retuned
home they We're loud in their praise
for the clean sport which they mad
enioved. and of the liberal manner in
which the books handled the odds on
the races. This was all the encourage
ment that the association wanted, and
they began at once to plan for their
1904 August meeting.
Most Of the hOrsemen who raced
here last fall declared when they de-
parted that nothing could keep them
from returning Not only have they
kept their word, but they assisted in
filling the stake book entries when ii
was sent to Oakland and Los Angeles.
Originally the association planned
only to care for 300 horses, but the de-
mands for stall room became 50 great
that it was found necessary to build
200 additional stalls. They have just
been completed, and are the most
modern and up to date stalls on the
coast. They are constructed after
those at Washington Park, Chicago,
and at Saratoga, and are SO arranged
that sleeping quarters for the trainers
and rubbers are in sort Of loft oven
the horses. Last year it cost the asso-
citation $4,000 to get Irvington into
shape, and this year $1,000 more has
been spent. The entire grandstand,
the saddling paddock and the judges
and timers stand will be painted anew
and every stall will receive a thick
coating Of whitewash.
1t is the intention of the association
this year to give $4,000 away in
purses for the stake events alone
This assures big fields in each of the
events, and it will bring together
some Of the best horses racing on the
coast. The Oregon Stakes, the first
stake event Of the season, closed with
so entries, and among them are such
horses as Misty's Pride, Step Around
who won the opening stake event al
Seattle; Lady Usk, Albermarle and {
large number Of other clever per
formers The big stake race of tht
meeting will be the Irvington handi
cap, value $1,000 to the winners. Fol
this money such horses as Modicum
Forest King George Berry, Veterano
Mr. Dingle and Gateway, and man.
others will face Starter MulhollanC
on August 20, the date of the race