The Washington herald., 1911-01-22
Year of 1911 Promises to Be
Memorable One.
BETTER PURSES ARE IN SIGHT
Hot Only for Grand Circuit, bat Near
By Events - d0ntg0mery County
Fair Plans Much Needed Change.
Local Horse Lovers Need Not Go to
New Y0rk-Other Gossip.
By L. ID. SALE.

ny 1As Ne S<AA<k>s
Z. In nine days more we shall bid adieu
to January. for a year at least, and as
February is a short month, We shall not
have long to wait for racing sport to
begin.
!, Everything indicates that the year 1911
will be a memorable one on the trotting
turf The recent meeting held at Chicago
by the officials of the Western Grand
Circuit, and the one recently held at
Buffalo by the officials Of the Eastern
Grand Circuit, and at which elaborate
plans for the year were adopted not
only demonstrated that the trotting horse
interests Of the country were in healthy
condition, but also demonstrated that
there will be no diminution in the matter
of fields or reduction of class in the
matter Of entries.
In this immediate section. the prospect
OF having a most brilliant season Of sport
is most encouraging. not only on our
local Speedway. but on our local tracks.
Each year We are breeding higher types
OF horses, and each year lovers of light
harness sport in our community who buy
in the open market purchase a better
class of horses. From reports received
from the owners of tracks, it is their
intention the coming racing season to
give better purses for events and indulge
more in novelties man in the past in order
to attract the public.
A scheme is already on foot, for in
stance, to give substantial stakes for
young trotters and PAGERS. thus giving
them an earning capacity from which
they have been too long barred by the
short sighted and narrow policy of track
owners and track managers. 1t is pro-
posed to give stake Of $500 for three
year olds to shoot at. winner take all,
which, il correct, we do not approve Of
1t Is also proposed, We understand, to
make this event mixed one, which we
are free to state We do not approve Of.
We are unalterably opposed to mixed
events for either old or young horses
Better make the proposed stake events
for three-year-old trotters and PAGERS and
cut the purse exactly through the middle
giving each class a purse of $50. We do
not consider the argument that the three
year-old PAGERS will have to go without
hobbies, thus iessening their chances Of
winning over the uotters, as being worthy
of consideration.
reasonable probability that upward of
dozen youngsters will be entered in the
stakes; if SO it will be strange, if, out
of the lot, at least five trotters cannot
be found in the list.
As a matter of fact, 1t is not the size
OF the purse that will attract the owner
nor will it be the size Of the purse that
VIII attract the public. Ne true sports
man stands on the size Of the purse
when entering a young or old horse IN
such events; the honor of winning it is
compensation enough for any man whose
sole object is not the commercial end
of the racing game. We venture to state
now, that if this particular event is
pulled OF that 1t will draw a larger crowd
Of sport loving people to witness than any
similar event that has been devised in
the interest of the light harness horse in
the District of Columbia. We understand
that back of this scheme is E. F. Hall,
which, II true. is sufficient guarantee that
the money will be ready when the event
or events are terminated.
An important event of the week is the
Intelligence that much-needed changes
were made a few days since in the lead
ing officials Of the Montgomery County
Fair Association. Heaven knows change