New-York tribune., 1909-04-06

The racing season in the metropolitan district
III ba formally opened at Belmont Park on Thurs
sov MAY lS following the close Of the spring
sstfnE OF the Maryland Jockey Club at Pinlico.
80 baltimore which runs from April - to Nav
. This was settled a meeting Of the stewards
n the Jockey club in the Windsor Arcade yester-
sr when the schedule Of dates. as agreed upon
>r the various racing associations. formally
sn,-oved Those present at the meeting included
A,r1st Belmont. +. r. Hitchcock, Il X. Knapp,
Andrew Miller and Schuyler L. Parsons.
The dates were allotted a follows: Westchester
pacing Association, May IS TO June .: Brooklyn
Jockev Club. June 10 June .: Coney Island
IocEsv Club. June a 10 July 13; Empire City Rae
ing ASSOCIATION, July Il 10 July 81. and Saratoga
Pacing Association. August TO August Is
N nrorision was made for the Queens County
Jo,k.v Club which heretofore has opened the sea-
son on April l5 Aqueduct: for the Metropolitan
Jockey Club Jamaica. OF the Brighton Beach
Rscfnr Association. No dates were announced for
me fan meetings either, and il was said that no
arrangements viii be made for such meetings until
such time as fair test can be had Of the sport
pndsr the present law against bookmakng.
Eo-semen and those interested in racing ex-
n-essed some surprise last night that the Queens
corntv Jockey Club and the Metropolitan Jockey
Glib had not applied for dates. but meetings may
n held al Aqueduct and Jamaica in the fall If the
attendance justihes opening the courses and offer
ing stakes and purses. In spite Of some talk re-
Gently that the Brighton Beach Racing Association
might apply for its old dates in July, no such ap-
-licsrion zas made. and II meeting IS held over
the nsrtlv disnlantled course il viii have he in
TIE fall This association failed TO hold its regular
schedule meeting last October and Is generally
considered OF the racing map
Under the law racing can begin in this state on
spril Is but the fact that the season would not
been until the middle Of May this year has been
common r71rnor although the official announcement
was not made until yesterday Leaving out Aque-
suct and Jamaica, the dates for the meetings a.
Belmont Park Gravesend and Sheepshead Bay are
Practically the same as last year The Empire
City Racing Association gets the old Brighton
Beach dates in July. while Saratoga Is allotted
practically the full month Of August, or twenty
eight days as against twenty one days last year
Horsernen last night were loud in their praise Of
James Butler president Of the Empire city Racing
Association who only got into the fold after hard
3e+- tq7- who has since shown himself willing
70 DO his part IN building up the sport once more
following the blow it received by the passage OF the
snti-gambling law in Albany last June
No announcement was made yesterday as 10 the
number Of days which racing viii be held "ach
Eeek This is something that the various aSsocid-
tons must decide for themselves and is outside the
providence Of the stewards Of the Jockey tiuo
From what could be learned. much VIII depend on
how the season opens, and whether or not those IN
,srested in racing lend their support In all proba-
bli-z however the Westchester Racing Association
will arrange a programme calling for four DAYS d
Eeek-Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and Satur-
day. Later on five days week may he utlilzed or
even six as under the old conditions. II the sport
shows any signs of prosperity
Now that the dates are out horsenen will look
forward with interest the announcement OF the
various programmes L can be said that nunnoer
Of the old and classic stakes Will he renewed al
though the added money viii be far less than IN
recent Years when the turf was SO prosperous
L the usual order Is followed, the Brooklyn Handl-
cap will be rr1n on June 2 the Suburban Handicap
On T7-e % and the Saratoga Handicap on August
:. The announcement of the closing Of stakes can
be looked for within the next few days
While the lovers Of the thoroughbred have felt
FOR some time that racing would be likely 10 go on
for the time being the formal announcement OF al
Ieas- soy,e dates for the season will be hailed with
satisfaction II is generally felt, as one horseman
said last night. that a fair test was not had last
year under the new conditions on account OF the I'M
cerrainrv as 70 whether not oral betting was a
v5ola-fon of the la,.- When the Interpretation Of
the new statute finally decided by the courts the
real test as 10 whether the sport can live VIII come