Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-24
GRAND CIRCUIT MEET
Harness Races at Empire
Track to Be Big Event.
COUNTRYOVER INTERESTED
Success or Failure to Decide the Fate
of Breeding the Ameri-
can Trotter.
COUNTRY OVER INTERESTED

NEW YORK. July23.-Managers of the
New York Trotting Club who are backing
| the coming grand circuit meeting at the
Empire City track are in almost con-
slant consultation for the final arrange
! ments of the event and are apparently
| sparing no efforts either to make the
meeting a great and permanent success
| or prove. once for all, that racing the
| American harness horse under existing
conditions in this state should be aban-
| doned altogether.
| Trotting horsemen of the east as we'll
as the entire country are more vitality
| interested in the New York meeting
| than any other in the entire grand cir
| cult Of the year. as it will in many re-
| spects be the most unique and unusual
racing event ever held in the history of
the harness turf in America.
| There never has been another trotting
| meeting on such a large scale as the one
planned for Empire City track. In which
| the only income with which to meet the
immense expense is the gate receipts
alone. The New York Trotting Club win
have no income from early closing or
class race entrance fees, which are prac-
tically the main support of many other
racing associations, as all fees received
4
go to starting horses and divided among
! the winners, for New York, alone among
| others, gives actual guaranteed stakes
and purses
There will be no income from any privi-
leges Of any kind, while many other SIM
liar meetings derive enough from this
source to more than cover the running
'expenses Of their weeks races.
| What important effect will the success
| r NJ ho
| upon the future Of the country's harness
| sport, and more so. the industry of breed
| ing the American trotter, cannot possibly
be estimated offhand, yet horsemen have
not stand on ceremony in giving their
| full opinion.
A New York horseman, who has de-
voted his entire life to trotters as a
been prime mover in the grand circuit
| meeting, expressed his opinion recently,
| and what he says is the general idea Of
all horsemen who either love the sport
or are interested in their breeding.
| 1T has been q political adage," said
| TINS horseman-breeder, that as New York
,as the Empire state goes. SO goes the
country. Every thinking and sensible
man who is interested in the welfare,
present and future, Of the American light
suit of the Empire City meeting will have
a more pronounced and lasting effect
| upon the future, as far as horses are
concerned. than is credited to the po-
| litical adage.
| The New York Trotting Club has un-
| dertaken q task which, to the best of
my knowledge. has never been tried in
| TINS country, namely-a big race meeting
win absolutely no income to cover Its
expenses than what is to be received from
Its patrons at the gate. 1t means that
the management will solve the question
Wnether trotting sport really appeals to
the general public for its support or
the contrary Of this is the real truth.
Inc chief aim of all the members
and hackers of the Trotting Club has
peen from the very start to give the
question of racing trotters under exist
ing conditions full and complete trial
and to this end all details Of the meet
ing have been arranged accordingly.
IT Will be the best and most modern
harness meeting ever held and it's ulti-
mate success will be a great boon to
all horsemen and breeders. while, If a
failure. they will no more doubt the
fact that horse racing, at least in New
YORK and the east. is completely dead
and must be abandoned.
First of all, the system of asking
Tor entrance fees should appeal to
horsemen as being the fairest and low
horses were allowed to enter by a pay
ment OF only 2 per cent of the purse,
ana they are permitted to come in as
late as desired with a larger fee
The club did not want a cent of the
money over the amounts announced as
cash premiums. which is a fair way of
dealing with owners of race horses.
The system under which the races will
be conducted Is as up-to-date as 1T can
be possibly made to insure keen con-
M An
just what horsemen have for years been
advocating and wishing.
1.-The Trotting Clubs next most import
ant experiment will be with the gate,
not because the income from that source
is its chief hope for support. but upon 1t
depends the verdict of the general public
The present idea of the majority of men,
bers. which l believe will be the final, is
to charge the small fee OF 80 cents as
admission. which will entitle the patron
to a seat anywhere outside the main
grandstand, for which small additional
fee will be charged
AT this small cost the public will be
gwen chance to see the contests among
the country's noted harness performers,
for in order to give patrons the very best
value for their admission fee thousands
of dollars have been offered to bring the
best horses to New York. and they will
all be here during the week of August %
1T Is true that the New York grand
circuit of 1910 will be supported by sub
scriptiOns from gentlemen who are lovers
OF the sport or interested in the trotter.
yet 1t must not be understood that If the
| initial event proves a failure the same
will be continued In the future on the
present plans. Unless the efforts of the
club are fully rewarded by the support
of owners and drivers of horses and the
patronage of the public at the gate, the
experiment will be declared failure. and
perhaps never tried again. On the con-
trary. if successful. as We expect 1t will
) be, then the great boom for the trotter
and the sport 1t offers will come In a
rush."
Walker Beats Ramsdell.