Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-22
TURFMEN MEET TO
DECIDE ON PLANS
Seasons Campaign Will Be
Outlined by Racing Mag
mates This Week.

NEW YORK, February 22.-Plans for
racing in this state next season will be
determined on almost certainly at series
Of conferences which will be held this
week. 1t was intended that they should
be taken up a fortnight ago, but the tenn
porary indisposition of August Belmont
caused postponement. Mr.. Belmont has
entirely recovered. He has left the hos
pital and will be back at his office tomor-
row. H. IL. Knapp has postponed his
usual midwinter vacation to be present
and so has P. J. Dwyer. Both Mr. Knapp
and Mr.. Dwyer intend to 60 away on
Saturday next, and so it IS reasonably
assured that some plan will be agreed on
before that date.
A Quorum Not in Town.
Schuyler Parsons. the newly elected
president of Sheepshead: w. III. Reynolds.
the chief executive of the Metropolitan
Jockey Club: r. T. Wilson. jr.. and An
drew Miller of Saratoga, and Mr.. Butler
Of the Empire City Association are in the
city. This would make possible a quorum
Of the associations. and, with James r.
Keene, also a quorum OF tho stewards OF
the Jockey Club, that might not for some
weeks be capable of getting together II
they do not meet within the next few
days.
That there will be racing may be &C.
cepted as a fast, but there Is widespread
interest as to just what curtailments will
be deemed necessary because OF existing
conditions. That Is, whether the re-
trenchment will be exclusively along the
line Of the stakes and purses to be offered
which is anticipated by everybody. or
whether 1t also will mean the elimination
Of one or two days each week.
Probably Five Days a Week.
The best judgment seems to be that
racing will be held on not moro than
five days each week, as was the case in
1895, which was the first year OF the
Percy-Gray law. Brighton's future, so
far as the season of 1909 Is concerned.
is in the air, but 1t may be said that
Jamaica, about which some doubt was
expressed a little while ago In certain
quarters, will positively hold Its meet
ings.
In the event Of Brighton not main
tanning its place for next season the
elimination OF day each week would
not cause any conflict Of dates. and
would, in addition. enable Saratoga to
hold a meeting of such length as the
citizens of the Spa are eager for, provid-
ing it would be commercially possible
to meet their wishes.
No Raise in Prices.
There has not been any discussion
about the raising Of the prices of ad-
mission, nor is it likely that there will
be any change, save only that the field
Enclosures will be cut out Neither is
there anything in the rumor that the
hunt clubs having their domiciles out
side this state might come in and lease
some of the plants.
The fact about the hunt clubs Is that
they profess an unwillingness to recog-
nize the jurisdiction of the National
Steeplechase and Hunt Association. al
though wide concessions were offered
them and were at first accepted by them.
Unless they race under the rules OF the
alton they could not under the law hold
any meeting in this state.
The racing associations mean to 60
ahead and do the best they can, keep
ing within the law at all times. There
is sort OF general feeling that the
stakes will be cut largely and that over
night races will. on an average, have
$500 added to them. There was some
disposition evinced by horsemen to have
the stakes done away with, but 1t may
be said this will not be agreed to, as 1t
would reduce the character Of the sport
something which the jockey club would
not permit.
The purchase Of kenilworth park by Mr.
Belmont on Friday, while known that
it was to protect the mortgage, was en-
couraging, inasmuch as 1t Is a practical
guarantee that the property will not. at
least for some time, go out of existence
as a racing plant.