Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-10-28
Many Tracks, Hitherto Closed,
Conducted Well-patrOnized
Meetings.
BY WALTER E. ERLER.

BY WALTER E. ERLER.
Not in years has light harness rae
ing known a season so sue
/ cessful as the one which has come to
a close. Not alone is this so in re-
gard TO the big meetings on the Grand
n Great Western circuits, but at
the minor racing enterprises all over
the country. Several tracks through
out the metropolitan district that
have. been closed for years, this sea-
son gave a meeting and threw open
their gates to visiting horsemen. Trhese
tracks without a single exception re-
ceived record breaking entry lists, n
several of the plants were unable TO
house the horses and were Obliged 10
rent available stable room adjacent 10
their tracks. While much wet weather
prevailed during the season, put one
meeting was declared off ntirSF' sew
eral were obliged to curtall thelr pro-
grams or. put on a double-header, ana
while these are not pleasant features'
a majority of the horses that were
shipped to any one track got a race.
The big circuits were also handl-
! canned nv verse weather condltlohs,
h,,t with the exception of Readville, a
majority of the tracks got through
With their entire programs. The early
closing events offered by the various
tracks adjacent to the metropolis were
bavond fine shadow of a doubt a big
thing for the light harness sport
hereabouts, and as most OF the asso-
Citations which gave them made a httie
money. or at least broke even, there
is at this time every reason to oeileVe
that all and possibly one or two add
tional tracks will open some early
| closing events next season.
Not the least pleasing features IN con-
nection with this years racing was
| the quality of the audiences 1t attract
ed MANY meets are becoming society
features and the most representative
classes In the communities are Iouho
among the attendants. This feature
Is indeed encouraging and demonstrates
most forcibly that the day or tne
gambler and the tout who travels IN
his wake Is rapidly becoming but an
unpleasant memory In the light harness
horse sport.
At several Of the meetings during
the past season there was a decided
predominance Of dainty femininity and
their knowledge of the horses seen IN
action and their disposition to back
their opinions to the extent OF a box
of "Huyler's' adds much that Is pleas
ant and at the same time helpful to
the sport. Without the representative
classes and the ladies harness horse
racing, In a measure, at least, becomes
a mockery. If in the future racing
associations will cater more to these
most desirable elements an everlasting
benefit viii be done the American trot-
ter and his abilities as a producer OF
clean and wholesome out-of-door recre-
alton.
Performance Not So Brilliant.
During the season the performances
of the horses racing on the big line
We're, as a rule, not particularly bril-
liant. It is true that a few absolutely
frst-class horses appeared and while
the horse r. T. c., in the combination
of Tommy Murphy, raced from Kala-
mazoo to Lexington, without losing a
race or even a single heat, there is no
assurance that he is a really high class
horse. He has all season been in about
as soft as a horse ever was in the big
stakes, yet he has never been up
against a trotter that a anything
like the amount of speed that he him
self has shown.
The real bear-cat of the trotting
brigade on the Grand Circuit was
r. T. C.'s stable companion, Charley
Mitchell. This fellow met several very
worthy horses. and. while he was
beaten during the season, he possessed
class enough to win the Pennsylvania
at the Lexington meeting, and that to
most horsemen Is h Indian sign"
Several brilliant 2 and 3-year-old
t~rotters appeared, yet no worlds
records were broken in this division.
The work of these baby trotters was
indeed interesting, yet those who were
on top at the conclusion of the racing
season of 1910 continue to hold the
paramount positions.
The HaIf-Mne Tracks.
Over the half-mile tracks the stu
alton was in many ways more interest
ing. Several very high-class t~rotters
battled for supremacy during the entire
season, and 1t was, so to speak, a sur
vival of the fttest. Doubtless the very
! best trotter that appeared in tht
bushes was the chestnut gelding Pro
fessor Sphinx, who took a record o.
! 2:11A at Allentown. Sir Thomas Lip
ton, who made him step this mile, i:
another very high-class horse, and will
doubtless graduate into high society
next season.
Professor sphinx best Ever.
On Saturday last the Professol
Sphinx horse was sold to Tommy Muir