The Washington times., 1911-03-11
KENTUCKY EXPECTS
SOME GREAT RACING
Prospects Never Were
Brighter Than for the
Coming Season.
BETTING MACHINES
POPULAR WITH PUBLIC
Many Entries for Derby and
Kentucky Oaks At
Louisville.

LOUISVILLE, March 11.-That the
prospects for a successful racing season
were never brighter than they are at
present is the opinion of the managers
of the three kentucky race tracks,
Latonia, Louisville. and Lexington, and
this belief has been strengthened much
In the past fortnight by the unusually
large number Of entries that have been
received to the stake races to be run
at the three tracks.
Racing interests at present are GEN.
tered in the two Florida tracks and al
Juarez, Mexico, but in a few weeks the
thorouEhbrcds will be moving toward
old Kentucky, where, for sixty days or
more, the sport of kings will hold the
boards. More turfmen will ship their
horses to Kentucky this season than
ever before, and many of those that
formerly shipped from the Southern to
the Eastern tracks will find 4 haven of
refuge in the kentucky tracks this
spring.
Camden Handicap.
Those Interested in racing are anxious
ly awaiting the close of the winter
tracks so that they can get a look at
the candidates for the Louisville and
Latonia' derbies. The Camden Handi-
cap, 70 be run at Lexington, is a sort
OF preliminary race to the Kentucky
DERBY and gives an idea Of the class
and cilibcr of the Derby eliEibes Last
year Dondu won the Camden Handicap,
and then came back and won the Ken
lucky Derby.
This year Lexington will have longer
meeting than usual. and the turf lovers
in the Bluegrass City are impatient for
tie opening of the racing season which
comes next month. 1t was only after
persistent efforts on the part of the
track officials at Lexington that racing
was again put on a firm footing and
the residents instructed to the use Of |
the Pari-mutuel betting machines. The |
auction pools where the big bettors have !!
their play, at first took better than the !
machines at the famous old course at !
Lexington as the odds are known be- !
fore the race with this manner of bet |
ting. The public gradually became edu- /
Gated toward the machines and now
even If the law would allow the return !
of the bookmaker he would not be well
come.
All Over Kentucky.
This is the state Of affairs not only at
the Lexington track, but at the other
Kentucky tracks as we'll Here the
pa system OF DGlllIlS Ids d \
firm mold upon the public, and more
money was handled in the machines at
the Falls City last spring and fall than
al any of the other tracks. The attend
ance was also better At Louisville than
anywhere else on the Kentucky racing
circuit, but LatOnia did not fall far be-
hind in the spring. Bad weather served
as big handicap TO the game at the
Nilldale course in the fall, and of
9rtandanp SnnaVh1t ! 4
curtailed.
Now that the fight over the assign
nent OF dates has been settled between
he Louisville and LatOnia tracks. both
good days and neither getting the !
lions share" il is expected that the
work of preparing for the spring race
meetings Will begin early: The entries
or the big races here, the Derby and | {
he Kentucky Oaks, have closed, and in I
10Th cvcntS the nominations We're large, {
md no matter how small the field is
hat goes TO the post in either race it
$ an assured fact that it will be com
rOsed of some Of the ClassCst thorough l
'rPds in training in the West. 5
The LatOnia Derby also has a large ,
OminauOn list but asa rule there is ,
'ut little difference between the field
hat starts in the classic at Louisville '
nd the field for the Derby at LatOnia \
he other stake races at the Mlidale I
rack are all well filed, and excellent :
port IS assured the patrons of the rae
lg game in these partI.
% Commission Fair. 9
In allotting the dates for the spring \
meetings. the Kentucky State racing
tried to be fair in its dis
ribution of racing days, but the fight d
or Memorial Day caused some friction
or a short while. Both Latonia and Il
.ouisville wanted this date, and it end
d with the former getting it. Inde- Il
endcuce Day, of course, fell to the =,
rack across the river. and this is one g
I the best days on the racing calender. -
Improvements in the way OF accom-
lOdatiOnS for the bettOrs, the employees a
nd the tUTfmen will be made at all of
le kentucky tracks, and this season o
Ie cashiers will be much more eXpedI- Il
Gus in paying off the winning tickets ,
ian heretofore. This will enable the II
ices to be run on schedule time, and
ut have the last race run when the -
'Owd should he home for dinner, as n
as the case many times last year. L
On the whole the lovers of the racing
lnfe in Kentucy have reason to hope
II the greatest season in the history of
le sport, and when the bugle calls the
lrses TO the post for the opening race
le latter part of next month at Lex a
gton a racing season that is sure to hi
r SurpaSs that in any other State dc
here summer racing is allowed will w
I'VE hpen uShPred in. ~,