Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-22
FUTURE OF
BR|GHTNOOD PARK
Current Topic of Interest With
the Local Harness Horse
Men.
BIZ L. D. SALE.

BIZ L. d. SALE.
Brightwood Driving Club and patrons Of
the track have been in a fiutter during the
past week over the prospect of losing the
course in the very near future. The only
legal steps taken In the matter up to date
is an inquiry made by the Secretary OF the
Interior as to the right of the club to main
tain fence on government land or to use
such land for any purpose. The District
Commissioners to whom the Secretary adj
dressed his query, have referred the mat
ter to Corporation Counsel e. H. Thomas.
with request that he present to them an
official opinion on the subject. The COM
munication had not reached Mr.. Thomas up
to recent date. hence when seen by The
Star representative he had no official opin-
ion to express as to the merits of the con-
tention. except to say that il the land
which the extension Of 10th street is to oc-
cupy has been legally condemned. ETC.,
which he believes is the case, and the fed
erai government in actual possession, the
Brightwood Driving Club Is trespasser
and action will lie Ii the obstacle or OBJ
stacles are not promptly removed
-
Ever since the question of the extension
of 10th street has been subject Of discus
sion among the residents of tne District
and the land for the roadway condemned.
persons interested in the welfare of Bright
wood trotting track have known that Its
tenure was a matter of only a few years
at best. Nevertheless, the club has each
year made more or less repairs ABOUT the
stables, grandstand and club house; has
improved the track proper at a cost OF sew
eral hundred dollars, and otherwise In
volved itself financially. Sixteenth street
extended bisects the track. Whenever the
government asserts it's rights the track
ceases to exist. 1t Is quite possible that
enough land remains east of the extension
10 build a track half mile in circum-
ference. The fact cannot be really ascer-
tanned until a surveyor Is called in Should
the scheme of rebuilding be undertaken the
present club house would have to be re-
moved to an adjoining lot north OF the pres
eut site. 1t is a question, even then, whetn-
er enough men with money can be found
in Washington to take hold of the project,
as the present owners of the property will
not engage to lease beyond period OF
twelve months. The extension of 10th
street, when actually carried out, brings
their property actively into the market, and
1t is quite possible that the owners of the
land would prefer to plat and sell 1t out In
small holdings.
A few moneyed men, who take an interest
in speed contest and who believe that such
contests improve the breed of light har-
ness horses have for upward Of five years
past informally discussed the project OF
leasing about twenty acres of land in the
vicinity Of Silver Spring, In Montgomery
county, and constructing a modern trotting
track with an up-to-date CLUB house and
grandstand, and other needed accessories.
AS a matter of fact, certain local gentle
men with capital have already visited Sill
yer Spring and selected what they De
lieve to be an ideal spot for a track. Es-
Inmates as to the cost of a racing plant
vary all the way from S4o,OoO TO $'o,oO.
Much depends on the character OF the club
house and its appointments, and also as 10
whether the grandstand shall be OF steel
or wood The cost of the track construc-
ton is estimated to be all the way from
81. 600 to $1,000. Silver Spring Is acces-
sible by steam or trolley. as well as over
macadamized and good dirt roads Should
Rrfghtwood go out of commission the pro-
ject named may materialize. In the mean
time horsemen who are not content TO use
the speedway and prefer TO race Tor money
NAV possibly use the track at Benning. 1t
is a little heavy for trotters and PAGERS
and fast time could not be expected over
it.
The week at Brightwood has been good
one for speed making. but no phenomenal
miles were stepped 1t will be some days
vet before even 2.3O will be beaten by
horses In their work, but some fast quar-
ters and halves will be the order of the
day from now on. In fact, a phenomenal
half was stepped Wednesday last by the
five-year-old green pacing gelding, sired
by Onycha Wilkes. and which Is at pres
ent. in the stable of Alonzo Corbin. With
Bedford Boy, 2.13A, as runner-up, he ne
gotiated a half in the remarkable time OF
LOSE. When his sire was at the apogee
OF his speed at the trot (and he was
ghost at half mile heats), the best he could
do was the above notch over Brightwood.
and his mark for the distance has stood
for over seven years, as far as the track
is concerned. The Wilkes gelding Is owned
by Mr.. Riley, and for year past had gone
begging among local horsemen until he fell
under the eagle eye of his present owner.
1t now looks. with the single exception OF
John o. Gheen's Belle Hazel. that the
brown gelding is the best green PAGER In
sight in this neck OF the woods.
II the Riley horse is among the top
notchers of the green pacing brigade. the
Breunninger Brothers bay four-year-oid
daughter of Orange Chief, 2.13A. is easily
in the front rank of green trotters. She
gave an exhibition of her class Wednes-
day last with amateur up. and the
mare hitchcd to hiSh-wheel cart. She
worked a mile with the bay mare Irene,
with Corbin up, and made most marvellous
showing. Irene made break in the back
stretch, but when Corbin finally did set
tie her she made UP bit of ground From
the three-quarter pole home the two bays
had IT hammer and longs Irene beating
her out by sulky length In fast time.
finer exhibition of speed has not been seen
at Brightwood this season, and the indica-
ton is that the Breunningers have a COM
iyrtr- ,ntt oh, To not In II
ing. Orange Chief was the fastest. and in
a race horse sense. the best OF the Orange
Blossoms. The latter was, for his day,
also a race horse and an ANIMAL of re-
markable longevity, he having died only
year since at the age of thirty-fve. His
get were all high-strung and had to be
handled with care II one wished to pro-
duce the best results. Orange Blossoms
dam was by the noted Seely's American
Star. that also sired the dam of Dexter,
and the gimp displayed by the BreunnInger
mare comes to her by inheritance.