The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-12-28
EXCELLENT SPORT
At SANTA AM IA
Greatest Racing Off the Metro
poIitan Courses
EFFECT OF LEGISLATION
Racers lmbued With the Idea That
They Had Better Get Theirs While
1t Remains-The Latest
Racing News.
EFFECT Of LEGISLATION
Ru RERr colLYER.

BY BERT E. coLLYER.
Los Angeles, December 27.-Much has
been written and said by turf patrons and
critics alike relative to the really high
class racing now in progress at Santa
Anita. but with all due Difference the
opinion is forced upon me that enough
has not been said. The racing itself is of
a brand rarely IL ever seen other than
on the metropolitan courses of New York
clean and formful The horses, that
very necessary adjunct, are here in plenty
ana the class of animals quartered at and
about the track has never been equalled
since the inception of racing in these
parts.
That Santa Anita is a beautifully locat-
ed course cannot be denied. Lying in
the valley with the Madres towering as
a background, the snowcapped peaks lend
to the place a sobriquet of "fairyland'
Travelling to the track. matter of half
m hours ride. the white-frosted noun
tains make a favorable impression. The
most noticeable is old Baldy'' in the
San Bernardino range, properly known as
Mt San Antonio. At another point and
near the race track. is Mt. Wilson, on
which is located the solar observatory.
The money to erect the observatory was
donated by Andrew Carnegie. The lens,
larger than that of the Lick observatory,
was made in France, and in order to get
the material to the summit the govern
ment built a road, which, however il
little used by vehicles on account of the
grade.
The race meeting is having liberal
patronage, with an average of 20 books
handling the speculative end Earlier
in the season it was thought that double
this number of layers would be in line,
but the expected eastern influx failed to
materialize George Rose and James L.
Holland conduct the big stores With
such a condition paramount very tight
market has been the result.
The dark lowering cloud of adverse leg
islation, of course has contributed to no
mean extent to the painfully apparent
policy of get yours while the getting is
good"
The anti-racing element scored first
blood when they secured the signature of
Governor Gillet placing the ant-betting
measure first on the list of measures to
come before the legislative body. which
convenes January 5. Although the racing
people have maintained a bold front, 1t Is
known by those close to the powers that
be that they realize that California is
about to follow at least seven of her sis
ter states in legislating from out her linn
It's the sport of kings"
Sixteen stakes remain to be decided, in
Guiding the California handicap of $500,
the speed handicap of $4,000, and the Los
Angeles derby of 5000. Thus 1t will be
seen that the horsemen have enough to
run for. Phil Chinn, Sam Hildreth, Lew
Marion Barney Schneider and E. J. Bald
win have the most pretentious stables, but
lot of smaller strings that race up at
Seattle and Butte contain good material,
so the sport is bound to be interesting.
Senator O'Brien of Chicago arrived here
shortly after the meeting opened on a
pleasure trip and will remain for sew
eral weeks. Mr. O'Brien is not over SAN
guine as to racing in the Windy City, but
thinks that the chances for the rehabili-
tation of the sport in Indiana is excel
lent next year.
biggest erd of his mammoth stable here,
with "a in training as against IA at Oak
land. He has made liberal stake engage
ments, and with such ones to draw from
as Restigouche, Dan1eHon, Joe Madden,
Peter Ounce Force, etc, it looks as
though he ought to carry off fair
norton of the fixed events He started off
we'll winning the Ramona handicap open
ing day with Restigouche. and subse-
ouently won the Oneonta handicap with
the same racer. Another powerful stable
that will play an important part at the
meeting Is that of W. Gerst in charge Of
Trainer George Hole Two of the best
IN the lot are Handbridge and Colloquy.
The latter appears to be getting back
10 her 2-year-old form. and will be hard
to beat in any sprinting company
Rumors have reached here of the prob
able opening of the City Park track, New
Orleans, and the Oaklawn track at Hot
Springs Both, however, have been taken
with more or less reserve although infor-
nation from a most reliable source shows
that there Is something more than a
bare possibility of the Amis anti-betting
law being repealed or at least so modi-
fed so as to exempt Garland county. thus
rehabilitating the sport in the Valley
Of Vapors
Postal Changes.