The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-31
SARATOGA OPENS
/. THURSDAY WITH
FINEPROGRAMME
ny JAMES poCKERALL


the ground, and some prospect for long
er meeting than usual. the old Saratoga
race track is taking a new lease on life.
| Racing and its attributes of chance made
Saratoga famous and Saratoga will al
ways havo a kindly feeling toward rae
ing and race men, no matter to what ex-
| tent the sport is eramped by lawmakers.
Racing at Saratoga was conducted last
year upon a high plane. The law
against open betting was enforced, but
there was no persecution by the officials
such as has been the cause in the lower
part of the state. AS result the at
tendance was good and the old timers
were able to get orally to their hearts
lcontent.
The same conditions will prevail at the
track this year for the anti-oral betting
bill will not go into effect until septem-
Der /, and the Saratoga meeting will be
over by that time.
It is estimated that nearly 1900 horses
will be stabbed at Saratoga by time for
the season to open. The Wilson. keene.
Hildreth, Belmont. whitney, Gaffney and
other stables will have the cream of their
stock there.
A notable feature of the racing this year
will be the social events. Mrs. August
Belmont. Mrs. Richard T.. Wilson. Jr..
Mrs Sanford, Miss Nolan and other So
ciety women have promised to attend the
meeting The Saratoga meeting will open
| on August and will close on August 81.
| There are not many men in the world.
even among turfmen. who would pay
SIPS, 900 for horse without look at
him. But August Belmont is one Of the
| few and he made such a purchase when
he bought the great English race horse
| and stallion Rock Sand. He has never had
a regret for the purchase. Rock Sand
| has sired the best 2-year-old racers of
the season-Footprint and Trap Rock.
They represent his first crop of race
| horses In America.
why did buy Rock Sand?" said Mr..
Belmont For the very good reason that
4 he was just the stallion l needed for my
nursery stud. Rock Sand is Stockwell
horse through and through. Because of
that great strain of blood I purchased
| him.
years ago my father had a horse called
| the Ill-Used. He was very successful at
the nursery stud. being Stockwell. Since
| the death of the Ill-Used 1 have missed
| that particular strain of blood in my stall
| lions, so I made up my mind to pur-
chase Rock Sand II possible. The OPP
portunity presented itself and I gave or
ders to my agent in England to buy the
horse, although I had never seen him."
Don't you think 1t was plucky thing
to buy a horse you had never seen?'
II don't think took any great chance
In the matter" replied Mr.. Belmont with
| a laugh. II was familiar with his great
record and I was assured he was a fine
horse. He was just the type l wanted,
! not too tall, not too big, but symmetrical
4 In every respect"
The following Is the official programme
of the flve-day trotting meet to be held
at Empire City, near here, under the
| auspices of the grand circuit next month:
Tuesday, August %:
2:1s class, trotting, Speedway stake, first
division.
2:12 class, pacing
Three-year-old trotting. Matron stake.
Wednesday, August "a. .seets
2:16 class. trotting, second division.
Free-for-all class, trotting. as al
Three-year-old pacing, matron stake.
Thursday, August 25
2:16 class, trotting, third division
Zoo class, trotting.
2:05 class pacing
Friday, August 20:
2:13 class, trotting.
2:25 class, trotting.
2:S0 class, pacing.
Saturday, August ~:
2:1s class, trotting, Anal, specials and
| overnight races
Two additional stakes, each guar
anteed for $500, were added to the
list and one for the free-for-all trot
and another for the 2:o5 pace, both
Of which will bring together the fast
est performers of both divisions for
race and naturally will be two inter-
esting events.
The sweepstake event, which was IA
vored by majority of members,
was dropped, because the event was to
be for 3-year-olds, and as the two
divisions Of the breeders matron stake
Fare already on the card a third race
for youngsters was deemed unadvis-
able.
What Saturdays specials and over
night events will be has not yet been
settled definitely, but official announce
ments will be made in time for entries.
In deciding these events special at
| tention will be made to the horses
In racing stables and II possible the
over might races will be arranged with
a view to helping non-winners to earn
some money.
With the matron stake the total
amount to be distributed among con-
tending horses at Empire, City track
1 will BIT nearly. 100000. or up to GRAND
Circuit standard. VA
Mickey shannon. the we'll known
| turfman. sends word from Lexington,
KY, that he will open public stable
at the Kentucky association course.
When Uhlan trotted mile in 2:O2N
to wagon at Cleveland, o., recently
driven by his amateur owner c. F. G.
Billings Of New York. he made a per-
formance that has never been equaled
by trotting horse SO early in the
season. Lou Dillon trotted in 200 to
wagon in october, 1908. but her per-
Torrance was made with the aid OF
a wind shield, which 1t is estimated
helps a horse about four seconds or
more and all things considered can
not be regarded as quite the equal of
Uhlan's mile. This is the first time
that the horse has beat 2:08 in his
| work this year, and the fact that ha
| can pull wagon In record time driven
by an amateur who Is rs or 80 pounds
overweight. has convinced a great
many horsemen that the black son of
Bingen can trot in $500 or better this
1 year. f
| Owing to the temporary recognition
of performances made with a wind
shield Lou Dillon Is credited in the
year book with trotting record OF
1851, but no horse Of her gait ha
ever gone mile better than 1901 under
normal conditions and this is the mark
at which all aspirants for record hon
ors nowadays aim, the wind shield
record having been discredited by tho
action of the National Trottfne assoct