Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-08-15
MAKE OMAHA CENTER
OF HARNESS RACING
Success Of Recent Tournament In
spires Local Business Men TO
Plan for Future.
APPLY FOR GREAT WESTERN
ny g. X. MURRAY.


Horsemen OF Omaha and vicinity began
planning to make this city a harness
horse breeding. training and racing CEN
ter before the steeds which furnished the
entertainment for the big crowd OF
week ago Saturday at the speedway were
cooled out and put away. The buEness
men OF Omaha who know the horse game
have resolved that this city shall take
ttL leading position in the harness racing
industry In the muddle west, which II
ur doubtedly deserves and can have.
The people of Omaha haze answered
emphatically In the affirmative the oves-
ton whether they want TO zee high-claFs
trotting and pacing races. and only two
main issues remain to be settled; On
how large a scale shall next years race
meeting be held and where shall II bs
located Already the horsemen have de-
clded TO hold in the near future n con-
sultntion TO which all local men who de-
sire 20 boost the game In Omaha Will be
invited. for the purpose OF answering
these queries.
A this gathering viii include the di-
rectors OF the Omaha Driving club and
a number. of other big business men OF
the city who are accustomed to succeed
IN whatever they undertake, tho pros
! poets are that their decision will mean
something OF permanent. substantial good
| Tor Omaha.
Organise stock Company.
| Ed Patterson, president OF the Omaha
Driving club, and Otis NJ. Smith. secre-
tary, have received congratulations from
hundreds OF omahans on the success OF
the recent race meeting and on the
eportsman-like manner In which II was
| conducted, and II Is apparent that sue
eessful promotion Of stock company for
| tho purpose of constructing suitable
training and racing plant would be rather
an easy matter. This, Il Is probable. Will
be the basis OF the plan to be conslSsrsd
at the conference OF horsemen
Lexington. KY. is the most prominent
example of the benefits the horse, can
bring 20 a city, the ''trots'' bringing to
Lexington each fall visitors from all over
America and even from the old world,
and the breeding and training farms sur
rounding the city being perpetual source
Of interest. Goshen. N. Y, with it's half
mile track, considered one OF tho best OF
It's kind I'm the world. has utilized the
horse to make Il a feature town, rather
than common place one. A good many
other cities have done the same.
mtg Men Interested.
Omaha is fortunate In that the big men
and the best sportsmen OF the city ars
interested In the horse. Horsemen like
To gather in a city where such condition
exists and considerable immigration OF
them Is only awaiting formation OF
permanent plans here.
The location at the speedway in East
Omaha Is excellent in many ways and
there are also several drawbacks 70 It,
When the Locust street viaduct Is fin
ishod transportation troubles will prac-
/ tically be solved. The track which Is now
a little too sandy TO be fast. can be re-
surfaced for few hundred dollars and
placed In excellent condition. There Is
, room inside the board automobile bowl
for a mile dirt track. Yet other locations
are being considered and better place
may be found.
There Is a question whether Omaha
wants a mile or half mile track. The
l ideal plan Is to have both. The fastest
horses should race over a mile track and
several Omaha men are anxious to have
mile track to train over. But the
spectators at q race meeting like to sec
the horses pass the grandstand twice and
part Of a race program should be con-
tested over the two-lap oval.
Enter Fast Circuit.
Il Is probable that Omaha will apply
for membership in the Great Western
circuit next year II several early closing
stakes can be arranged such stakes are
usually guaranteed by porminent bust
ness firms and the events are named for
the guarantors The expense to indi-
vidual guarantors IL small and Is more
than repaid by favorable publicity to
themselves and TO their home city. Re-
suits OF races In the Great eWstern cir
cult are carried all over the country by
\ the Associated Press
/ 1t Is practically certain Omaha BUSH
ment will form a matinee club next year
, and will hold regular contests. There Is
no finer development of the harness rae
ing sport than the matinee. Also when
man gets interested In driving his own
horses in contests with other amateurs
he has provided himself with a whole
some. healthful pleasure. which will give
him new interest in life and prolong
his period OF existence on this earth.
Breeding the trotter and PAGER is an
other fascinating diversion and breedins
and training farms are certain to follow
establishment Of suitable harness horse
b plant in Omaha.