Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-20
RAGING SEASON
TU Be EXTENDED
ASCOT MAY OPERATE FOR FIVE
MONTHS
Abandonment Of Meetings at san
Francisco Puts Burden Of Main
taInlne Coast Standing In Turf
World on Local Course

When the directors Of the Los An
geles Jockey club meet June for their
annual meeting they will consider the
proposition to hold a five months win
ter meeting at Ascot next season, and
It Is deemed probable that the propo-
sltion will be favoraby acted upon.
Owing to the fact that San Francisco
Will be off the racing map for at least
two years, Los Angeles will be the sole
point OF attraction for the eastern
horseman who expect to race on the
coast next winter.
While the fact that San Francisco
will be out of the running is expected
TO have its effect upon the attendance
of eastern horsemen at Ascot, the fur
ther fact that the turf war at New Or
leans has been settled and only one
track will be in operation next winter
is expected to contribute the evening
up process which will be to the advan-
tage of Ascot.
There were more horses shipped to
Los Angeles last winter than could be
accommodated at both tracks, and with
one closed down 1t Is expected that the
eastern horsemen will give greater at
tention to coast racing and had not
San Francisco been forced to abandon
it's meetings, the attendance on the
coast next winter would have been a
record breaker.
AS it is, Ascot expects to extend the
meeting to cover a period of five
months and hang up increased stake
offerings sufficient 10 attract the best
of the eastern brigade to the coast
and offset the i'll effects Of the abandon
nent of the northern meetings.
The racing situation west of the Alle-
ghenies is improving in some slight
degree, inasmuch as it seems probable
that the turf war carried on by Ed Cor
rlgan and John Condor of the rival turf
organizations will be adjusted and
"settled to here" before the winter sea-
son rolls around.
No Conflicting Dates
In this event the New Orleans tracks
will alternate in dates and the samk
rule will prevail at Hot Springs. While
these two cities will not be in the
throes of a war, they will operate but
one track at a time and conflicting
dates will not prevail.
This being true Ascot will profit more
by the settlement Of the war than will
any other winter racing center, and
this regardless of the fact that San
Francisco will not be in operation.
Ascot furnishes the ideal winter
training quarters for the eastern horse
man. and after spending the winter
months at Ascot he is enabled to take
: his horses back east and win right off
the reel before the horses in the east
are able to get up jog trot.
The climate appeals alike to man and
beast as the ideal wintering spot. The
absence of snow and slush and the
preponderence of sunshine and pleasant
days, with the usually lightning fast
track, contribute materially to the
condition of the horses and they are
enabled to race here all winter and re-
turn east in the spring fresh and ready
for a gruelling race.
If the Los Angeles Jockey club car
ries out it's intention of extending the
meeting, which should begin November
] and run until April 1, and will in
crease it's stake offerings sufficiently,
the exodus from the east for the coast
will begin earlier this fall and the num-
ber of horSemen and the class of the
horses which will be in attendance next
year will be greatly increased over any
former year.
The prospects for a record breaking
season of sport are better than ever
before in the history of Ascot For once
county course will begin it's winter
meeting without the tinge of a scandal
and without the prospect of a turf war
on it's hands to mar the meeting.
With no competition up north, the
horsemen who come to Los Angeles
will remain here during the season, and
the patrons of Ascot will see the best
season of racing in the southwest.
1t may be among the possibilities that
the Burns handicap. easily the feature
stake event of the coast, may be trans
ferred to Ascot until San Francisco re-
sumes racing, as may be the California
derby and other set classics of the
northern city.
If the Pacific Jockey club desires to
aid Ascot in maintaining the reputa-
tion of the coast as a winter racing
center, it must aid materially in pro-
noting the winter meeting of 1906-7,
and if it Goes so, there will be no chance
for failure.
BY transferring to Los Angeles these
two classics and joining hands with
the Los Angeles Jockey club in exploit
ing the meeting for next season, the
parent body can perform wonders
towards making assured the success
the local Jockey club directors believe
Is due them.
In the absence of strife among horse
men and the management, which now
seems probable of becoming a reality,
and with a determined effort by the
Jockey club to promote the meeting in
the interest of the sport first, last and
all the time, the prospects for next
season could not be brighter.