Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-06

FOR HORSE RACE MEET
Outside Towns Are Urging Omaha to
Promote a Meet for This Summer.
GUARANTEE FUND IS NEEDED
Horse show Directors Are Urged TO
Use Some of Their Money In
This Way 20 start the
Movement

An effort Is now being made in Omaha TO
promote a race meet for this summer but
the promoters are meeting with little en-
enlargement. These promoters maintain
that the Omaha public is hungry for some
good horse races and that a start could be
made at a small expense by getting up a
circuit of towns consisting OF Omaha, Te4
kamah, Columbus and Fremont, each of
which could well afford to hang up $500
purses and thus insure first class horses.
In the Nebraska circuit as 1t is now
organized some of the towns hang $500
purses and some but $500 and this makes
some dissatisfaction among the horsemen,
whereas II there was a complete circuit
OF cities with good purses, some good meets
could be held.
All these smaller towns pull off success
full meets and the claim Is made that race
meets in Omaha would be bound to sue
ceed with all the population Of Omaha,
South Omaha and Council Bluffs to draw
from. Blair, Tekamah, Fremont and sew
eral other smaller towns have meets which
are financial successes and which fill up
the towns during the week Of the meet.
Tekamah made $1,000 last year on its meet.
Several Iowa towns have written to horse
men in Omaha urging them to promote a
meet in this city TO induce horsemen to
come to this section of the country that
they might get some Of the horses for their
meets. 1t would also stimulate the horse
business, which is growing all the time.
Horse show Money on Hand.
The Omaha Horse Show association still
has 5000 in its treasury left over from
the last horse show and horsemen claim
thof os fhfa Vnonav uyaG rafead and nada
on horses it should be used on horses and
race meet in Omaha. A contractor has
made a proposition that If the Horse Show
association will put up 1,5OO he will put
up a similar amount and thus insure the
start of the meet, which IL once started is
bound to be successful.
Omaha has two race tracks. One a mile
track on the old fair grounds site on West
Leavenworth street and the other a half
mile track in East Omaha. 1t is asserted
that he horsemen who make the circuits
would prefer the half mile track, as that
is the kim they meet with at other towns
around the circuit The track in East
Omaha is in good condition with some
stables, but more stalls would have to be
built in addition to some stands. 1t is
estimated IndL DuI eO,VVU mas lO DG IalSCu
and If the horse show money can be Sc
cured the way seems clear.
For years 1t has been claimed and no.
'ticed in the west that nothing draws like
a horse race and the promoters claim that
If the plan is once started in the right
way, Omaha merchants and hotel men will
at once fall in with the idea and help out.
Sioux City has a race meet and those
| 80, AaNuyaa1 Omaha and CiOVr Cffx
assert that the trains are always packed
with people from all stations from Council
Bluffs north. over $50 horses would be
brought to Omaha and these would bring
as many men with them, making good
business all around.
Directors OF the Nebraska Speed associa-
ton will meet in Omaha February Is and
the matter will be taken up at this time.