Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-24
SPORTS OF ALL SORTS
President Rowland Returns
From Western Trip.
oxTmnn mATNryHTn mATT
TALK
ENTHUSIASTIC OVER HORSE RAG
ING IN WEST AND SOUTH.
Grand and Leroy Indoor Tennis Cham
pions-Golfer Travis Beaten at Palm
Beach Good Bowling.

s. S. Rowland, president of the Washing
ton Jockey Club and of the Buffalo Racing
Association, arrived in New York city yes
. terday after months trip to the Pacific
coast by way of New Orleans, says the New
York Telegraph Mr.. Rowland naturally
took an especial interest in the racing. and
was more than pleased with what he saw.
"A revelation" he said to his friends yes
terday. 1.-The strides forward that have
been made in the past decade of years seem
almost beyond belief. Everywhere l found
the most excellent of discipline and the most
earnest of effort. New Orleans, as at pres
ent, would scarcely be recognized by an
old-timer In the days of long ago racing
there was merely an incident in the life of
that interesting old city-one of the few
cities that form a most charming link be-
tween the days of the long since past and
those of the present hustling times. Now
the racing is the thing there. 1t is well
regulated. and. instead of being an incident.
It is part of the life of the quaint old town.
About Ascot Park.
Further west, the course at Ascot Park,
Los Angeles, is delight to the eye, and
gives every promise that it will succeed.
1t is built convenient to the city, which has
taken ON wonderful boom. and has a real
ly remarkable patronage for a new institu-
ton The track is well built. the stand
splendidly constructed. and the sport ap-
pears to be conserved and kept clean in
most exemplary fashion. The attendance,
should say, was about up to what was at
Kenilworth Park last autumn. though pos
sbly naturally do not regard Los Angeles
as the equal of Buffalo as a racing center.
What struck me so fayorably about Ascot
Park is that one could see it growing IN
popularity. Like all new courses, there
was an inclination 10 put an interrogation
mark after anything said about it, but that
has passed away. AS might have been eX-
pected. perhaps, it was not financial sue
cess early, but il soon became so, and now
is progressing splendidly. Its first meeting,
feel confident will make money, and that
is the best testimony that can be adduced
in its favor because it means public APP
prevail of the management.
Frisco Tracks Not Hurt.
do you thing there is danger to either
the Los Angeles or the Frisco tracks by
reason of the apparent competition Mr..
Rowland was asked
Not at ALL was the prompt response.
And what is more, and what is equally
pleasing. l believe that each will have q
salutary influence on the other. The Oak
land and the Ingleside tracks not only are
we'll established, but are confirmed in pub
lie favor There is distinct field for them
and there also is distinct field for the
meeting at Los Angeles. The Frisco tracks
are spiendidly appointed and managed, and
will. as it were, set the pace for any other
course that may seek local habitation In
California. They are conducted not merely
with regard to the best interests of horse
men. but also of the public, and are bound
| to continue to be successful
Success in Competition.
when l say that the apparent compe-
tition between the San Francisco and the
Los Angeles courses will in my judgment,
contribute to the greater success of both,
1 mean that horsemen from the east with
two associations racing west of the Rockies,
Will be much more apt to cross the Great
Divide" in search of pleasant and profitable
winter racing than IL they were dependent
upon the program OF single organization
The two tracks are so wide apart that there
cannot be any cutting of local patronage
and the competition is bound to keep both
of them not merely alive, but alert. /
certainly believe that the presence Of the
two associations. providing always of
course, that they maintain their present
high standard of excellence and their pres
ent high purpose will be not only mutually
advantageous. but will be the means of in
ducing very many men who now race exclii-
Sively in the east to go out there for the
five months or so of what is winter and
idieness to U.S.
ClasS at bennlng.
Throughout his converse ton Mr. How
land was enthusiastic. 1t was the first
time in nearly dozen years that he had
had an opportunity to take a holiday ex-
tending over a month, and he made the
best use possible of it. Racing in the south
and the far west had made marvellous
strides. and he expressed his great pleasure
at being afforded an opportunity to testify
to It, When 1t came to speaking of the
meeting at Benning Mr.. Rowland said:
The entries for the specials sufficiently
indicate that We shall not only have many
horses. but that the class of those engaged
Is higher than ever before. From the very
beginning. the Washington Jockey Club
never had any doubt as to the patronage
that would come to it. What we now
must look about is not what horses We are
going to get. but what we can do to ac-
commodate well those which will come to
us. OF course, room will be made for all
of them. Our prospects never We're so
bright"
TRACK OWNER DEAD