Evening journal., 1912-12-16
REGULATE
ENTRIES FOR
FAIR MEETINGS

The stewards of the Big Fair Cir
cult, comprising nine of the leading
fair associations Of Pennsylvania,
New Jersey. Delaware and Maryland,
will hold a meeting in Philadelphia
this week, to arrange dates for the
fair and race meetings to be held next
year. If possible they will endeavor
TO formulate some plan or plans re-
garding uniform conditions, classes
and entrance fees
Certainly the most important ques-
tion and one which will be discussed
at length is what might be termed the
ENTRY evil" the custom of naming a
horse in two or more classes and
oftentimes not starting in any. It is
a practice which not only puts the
management OF the association I'm the
light of padding it's entry list, but
disappoints those attending the race
meeting often many persons come
miles for the purpose of witnessing
the performance Of well-known
trotter or PAGER, only to find that it
will not race for possibly a day or
two later, and possibly not al all at
that meeting.
Surely no sport OF theatre could be
successfully operated on such a basis,
anu it is the plan OF the secretaries
OF the fair associations TO endeayor
20 formulate some plan which will
be beneficial 20 the horsemen and the
associations, as without a paying adj
mission gate II is impossible to give
purses OF sufficient size 10 attract a
god class OF horses and the meeting
must he a failure.
10 might be interesting to know that
of the 1900 entries received by the
nine fair associations comprising the
Big Fair Circuit of 1912 considerably
less than 500 horses were started in
the races Thus It will be seen that
on an average less than half the en-
tries actually raced. This was a fact
at the majority OF the fairs.
Kutztown opened the Big Fair Cir
cult last season with a three days
program of seven races. and OF the
80 entries on the Official list 40 horses
started I'm the races. The largest en-
try in a class was 10, the largest
number Of starters was eight, the
smallest entry was eight, and the
smallest race had six starters
The Lebanon association. with four
days racing gave l3 events and of
the 17S horses named "a faced the
starter. The largest class enry was
2i and the largest race had II start
ers. The smallest entry was colt
race, in which all three entries raced.
AT Pottstown IA races were decid-
ed in FIVE days, and OF the l62 entries
50 raced. This number includes
three early closing stakes. The larg-
est class entry was IL and the larg-
est race contained eight starters, the
smallest entry was three and all
raced
The Wilmington association gave
four days racing with n total of IA
races, and of the 1876 entries just so
raced The largest class entry was
% and the largest race had ten start
ers. The smallest entry was ten and
the smallest race had two.
Nazareth encountered rain and
Il was impossible to decide more
than thre days OF racing Nine races
we're decided TO which they had re-
ceived 80 entries and Just a. started.
Four races with 80 entries were de-
clarcd of. The largest class entry
was 10 and the largest race had six
starters. The smallest entry was FIVE
] and the smallest race found starters
Allentown. the next member also
encountered rain; however. they
raced Is of their IL events. to which
an entry of 206 fOrses had been re-
/ ceived. and OF that number just IS
! raced The largest class had II en-
tries and nine were IN the largest
/ race The smallest entry was six.
and the smallest race had four
starters
The Trenton. y. J.. fair events
/ numbered a. Tho colt race with
fouI entries. was not started, leaving
a total of 32i entries in the official
! list. of which number l2S raced. The
largest class had "a entries and l6
starters One race was split into two
divisions with eight starters I'm each
/ Tho smallest class entry raced had
/ II entries. Of which number five
started.
Mount Holly. ~ j.. also furnished
IA races in four days with a total On
try Of 499. of which number only 100
raced. The largest class entry had
21 while the largest race furnished
Il starters The smallest entry was
"A and the smallest race produced
FIVE starters.
Hagerstown. Md. the closing num-
her. furnished l3 races in four days
with q good sized entry. Ninety-nine
horses raced. The largest race had
70 starters aud the smallest only
four
Surely the above list will convince
any fair minded devotee of the sport
that there is something radically
wrong with the. present mode Of en-
, tering horses. Something should be
done for the good of the sport in gen.
eral, as the same conditions no doubt
: exist in other fair and racing circuits
; throughout the country.
: The opportunity to acquire part In