The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-21
Grand Circuit Stewards Make
Big Changes in Meeting Dates

City turning abruptly backward and
Rapids. Kalamazoo and Detroit will
then follow. and then there will be a
long jump to Salem, y. II.
n brings us to another great
change. Last year, the meeting at
Salem was followed by that at Read
willie, Miss. where the famous track
built by the New England Breeders
association had for many years been
annually the scene OF Il grand circuit
name is absent from the roll call. For
some seasons past the meetings at
this suburban Boston point have been
unsuccessful financially. and one after
another a series Of angels has
passed it up without having achiev-
cd either profit or glory. Apparently
no new one appeared to take 1t un-
der his wing for the approaching sea-
SON.. and therefore it has disappeared
into the outskirts, at least. Of oblivion.
Readville's place is taken by New
York-and the appearance of the
name of the metropolis in the other
wise vacant gap will he hailed With
pleasure by nan horsemen. but a
pleasure modified by considerable UNI
certainty. Spasmodic attempts have
been made to revive harness racing in
that city for a number Of years past.
with small success. The last meeting
of the grand circuit there was held at
the Empire City track three years ago.
1t was only a moderate success from
a sporting standpoint. while financial
~ it was a losing venture. though not
heavily 80. But the promoters made
no effort to come back" in 1911. In
1912 there was such strong talk of q
resumption of operations that the
stewards awarded New York dates.
just as they did. -.last week-but nc
meeting m~aterialized. and the dates
were transferred to Salem. \. H., pre-
viously never a circuit member. which,
however. held such q successful meet
ing at Rockingham Park that its flu
ture in the organization was at once
assured.
Windsor and New York are the on
ly new members of the circuit. The
application Of Springfield (the meet
ing held in connection with the H.
linois State fair) for a position in the
line was turned down by the stewards.
for the reason that satisfactory dates
We're impossible. In December at the
meeting of the Association of State
Fair Managers Springfield was allot-
ed Oct. 3-11 for her fair and in order
to get her into line on those dates it
would have been necessary for Lex
ington to move backward a week. This
she declined to do. on the plea that
the uncertainties of the weather in
! Kentucky in late October were too
! great to warrant such a proceeding. as
! we'll as the claim that ever since the
organization of the Kentucky Trotting
Horse Breeders association. nearly a
half century ago her meeting had al
ways begun upon the first Tuesday
following the first Monday in Octo-
Der, and that she would not give up
that date.
AS a matter of fact. Lexington was
never a grand circuit member until
last yea and even then was not adj
mitted into the organization until aft
err it's first schedule had been formed.
1t would. therefore. have seemed that
If some of the oldest OF the members
could abandon dates which they had
occupied for years, in order to oblige
newcomers in the early part of the
circuit in the interest of all, Spring.
field might have been accommodated
by Lexington. l'ut the prestige of the
Blue Grass meeting is so great that
by the stewards ii was evidently given
the privilege OF doing as it pleased.
In consequence, springfield was given
the gate"
1t is to he hoped that eventually the
matter can. bc SD adjusted that the
city last named can be admitted to the
big ring. Racing at the Illinois State
fair is booming and it would make a
Very strong member. which a host of
campaigning horsemen would like to
see III line.
The other applicant for grand cir
cult dates which was refused was
POuHhkeepsie. y. Y. 1t was in wears
past a CONSTANT member. but Cover
nor Hughes anti-betting crusade a
few years ago put 1t out of commits
sion. One "betless" meeting was tried
there. and the experiment abandon
ed, but this year 1t was determined to
try it again. However. the stewards
must have considered the Metropoli-
tan proposition the more preferable.