The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-13
Latest News of Happenings in the World Of Sports
SECRETARIES At WORK
FIXING THEIR CARDS
Grand Circuit Tracks VIII Offer
Attractive Programmes
This Year.
New Conditions to Govern NJ. and
Nj. Stake and the Other I'M
pOrtant Events.

pOrtant Events.
With the coming Of spring the secretaries
of the Grand Circuit tracks are hard at
work fixing up their cards for the coming
summers races.
Readville will be to the fore with one of
the biggest meetings ever held at that his
toric old track. Secretary Jcwett mas ar
ranged mis- programme of early-closing
events. which will be found somewhat diff
ferent from the old order OF things.
The Derby Of the harness turf, the
Massachusetts. is still a $4,000 event,
but the class has been altered so as
to allow horses eligible 10 the 2:10
class TO compete. This will insure even
a better race than the ones that have given
the Massachusetts its great fame. 1t opens
the chance to win big money to a large
number Of horses who in the past have
been barred from all but class races, where
the purses are much smaller.
Last year the 2:1O trotters had their first
opportunity for big money in the Charter
Oak Stakes. and they furnished what is
spoken of as the greatest race ever seen
on the turf. There are a number of good
horses with records from 2:O9A TO oil, and
these, with the stake candidates with slow
er records, will make up a field worthy to
race for the richest purse in the Grand
Circuit.
The other events are the Blue Hill, 2:30
trot, 5000; the Tyro, three-year-old trot,
purse $1,000; the P~onkapog, 2:14 trot, $1,000;
the Norfolk, 2:24 pace. 5000.
This gives one early-closing event a day
during the meeting, which means that the
stake horses will be better classed and the
regular late-closing events will have larger
fields.
Detroit will offer big money to the har-
ness horses. The historic $4,000 Merchants
and Manufacturers Stake for 2:24 class
%trotters naturally takes precedence, close
ly followed by the 5000 Chamber of Com
merce Stake for 2:24 PAGERS. In addition TO
the foregoing events it has been decided
to offer a 2:O9 class pace, PIP class trot and
2:l7 class pace. Each OF these purses Will
have a 5000 value.
The conditions governing the Merchants
and Manufacturers, also the Chamber of
stakes, have undergone a de-
cided change. Heretofore il was possible
TO substitute a horse up to the time of the
last payment. upon the payment of an adj
ditional 212 per cent. This clause has been
abolished. In the future no horse will be
eligible to either of these events who was
not named at the time of the closing of
the entries.
1t has also been decided to reduce the in
itial and succeeding fee to $50 each in the
Merchants and Manufacturers and SIS
each III the Chamber OF BY this
arrangement a horseman can carry his
nomination in the $4,000 event for 800 up
to June !, and in the $1,000 event for $50.
By this date a trainer is in d position to
Judge il his horse is possessed of the quail
ity necessary to win, and can determine
whether TO continue payments.
1t is the intention of the club to perpetu-
ate tho two fast claSgac the 2s0q napp and
the PIP trot, 1t being the belief that horse
men should have an assurance that GER
tam glasses VIII each year De oIered, SO
that they could guide themselves accord
inly in marking their horses toward the
close of the season. Detroit being the in
itial meet in the Grand Circuit, it appears
that such an arrangement would meet with
the general approval of horsemen. The bal
ance of the programme probably will con-
sist of a 2:06, 2:OS. 2:l0. 2:14, 2:16, 2:1S and 2:2O
trotting class, and 2:Q4, 2:07, 2:11, 2:13. 2:15
and 2:20 pacing clashes. The aggregate
amount offered will be about $4,000.
The two New York tracks are as enter
should tempt the best horses in the coun-
Try. For the Empire track, 70 be decided
during the week of Aug. s, there are the
New York, 2:lO class. trot. for 5000; EN-
pire, 2:2O class, trot. $1,000; Bronx, 2:OS class,
pace. $1,000, and Yonkers. 2:1S pace. $1,000.
The Westchester, 2:3O class, trot. for three
year-olds. and the Mount Vernon, 2:25 class,
pace, for three-year-olds, each for $1,000,
making $4,000 for the first weeks sport.
For the meeting which is to open at
Brighton Beach. Aug. 10, there are the Sea
Breeze. 2:1O class. 5000; John H. Schultz.
2:20 class, trot, 5000; Brighton, 2:0S class,
pace, 5000, and Metropolitan, 2:1S class,
pace, 5000. The Brooklyn 2:25 class. pace,
for three-year-olds, and Coney island, 2:30
class, trot, for three-year-olds, each for
1900.
AT Buffalo an innovation in the division
of purses is to be -inaugurated which il
is believed will reduce TO a minimum the
inclination Of drivers to lay UP heats.
AS an illustration the division of the Elec-
trio City purse $4,000 for 2:11 ~trotters
was explained. Ten per cent, or $500, will
be given 20 the horse standing best i'm the
m at the end of the race. Each of
the three heats will constitute a race, and
the remaining $500 of the purse will be
divided into three equal parts of 1880.
Sixty per cent. of the 1850. or $500, goes to
the winner; % per cent. ($375) to the second,
and 10 per cent. G225) to the third horse in
each heat. This makes il possible for nine
horses to win money in the event, and also
makes il possible for one horse TO win So. 900
out of the purse.
The other events are: Trotting, Queen
City, Oil class, $1,000; Preparation. for
three-year-olds, $1,000; pacing. Empire
State, $1,000, 2:0S class, Iroquois Hotel, $1,000:
2:14 class; Introduction, ~thtee-year-olds
$1,000. The Preparation and Introduction
are twO-heat events.