New-York tribune., 1918-01-06
Grand Circuit
Officials Meet
Next Tuesday
Three Applications for Places
and One Withdrawal Ex-
pectcd by Stewards
By Frank S. Cooke


Eyes of votaries of the trotting sport
now are focused on the Buckeye capi-
tai, for the annual meeting of the stew
ards of the Grand Circuit is to be held
there on Tuesday of this week. The
big line Of mile tracks is the backbone
Of harness racing, and as a rule minor
associations await the announcement of
dates by the "big league" before in
forming the faithful of their own selec-
tions
The outlook is that there will be
three applications for places in the
Grand Circuit and one withdrawal. The
only city to throw up the sponge is De
troit. where some of the best meetings
in the land have been held since 1885
every year. excepting 1896. when a
prosecuting attorney established a
precedent by the statement that he
would enforce the law against betting
That there are plenty of people in
tho hub of the motor car industry who
like the trotters when they can back
their judgment was shown by the de-
feat of this official in the primaries.
Then it was case Of business as usual
until last July, when the Police Com
missioner threatened to junk the pari-
mutuel machines unless they were put
into cold storage. The State Fair
Grounds now being in the cityAand the
Police Commissionereen his job, the
famous blue ribbon meetings are no
more-at least for the time
Toledo Enters Breach
Toledo steps into the breach, anxious
to take Detroit's place. magnificent
plant is being built near the site of
Fort Miami and, if the Grand Circuit
welcomes the new town, a pretentious
meeting will be staged
Readville the two-minute track at
Boston. is coming back, which strength
ems the Eastern end of the line There
is little question about the admission
! Of both of these tracks, so there will
be one more member than last year.
North Randall, the Cleveland track,
has been inaugurating the mile track
racing season for some years and
doubtless will start the ball rolling in
1918. Kalamazoo, which has followed
Detroit in the past, wants the second
week, which Toledo, too, probably will
want, but it actually does not make
much difference to the horsemen, for
! the shipping will be about the same.
Then, no doubt. will come the first
meeting at Columbus and the second
one at North Randall. after which the
trotters and PAGERS wend their way
through the East, tarrying at Philadel-
phia, Poughkeepsie. Hartford, Boston
and Syracuse.
Columbus will put on the regular
fall meeting during the last two weeks
in September, and Lexington will fol
low with like period in October then
comes the finale at Atlanta.
In spite Of unusual conditions Incl
dent to the war, there is a heap of
optimism among breeders and owners
of trotters and PAGERS. There are just
as many good horses in sight as at the
beginning of any other year. and the
welcome of the people Of the various
cities promises to be just as cordial.
Transportation Problem
There is only one thing that may
clog the wheels, and that is the trans
! rortaticn problem with which Uncle
. Sam is now wrestling. Railways have
been unable;to handle commodities and
the call upon them will be even more
] SeVCIc next cuulIllcI. w ucSucl tuc
: powers that be will allow the horse
trains to cavort about the states, run
ming on express time, is the main ques-
: ton, but it has not bothered the horse
men in the slightest as yet, all Of
-, which is part of their habit Of taking
things as they come.
They raced during the Civil War. the
' racing in Austria last year was very
4 successful, Italy. Russia and Germany
:, also kept the game going, and Englan
Z is getting ready to resume racing, so
a why worry, ask the men who keep the
q sport going.
There was case before the board
:, Of appeals Of the American Trotting
4 Association that is of much interest
because of the effect it will have on
the judges about the country this
year. Few of the men who pass upon
the finishes and attach penalties for
;. attractions of turf rules go as far as
: the book says they should. In fact
: they are constrained to be very lib
n eral, and there was hardly a meeting
4 anywhere last year in which some
d horse which should have been sent tc
l. the barn was allowed to start in an
9 other heat.
! In the racing Of a pacing stake a
n Saginaw last summer Battle King
8 bred at w. B. Dickerman's farm OF
the edge of New York, and owned by
d R. {. Lasbury. of Broad Brook. Conn.
s won in straight heats. In the thir'
3 one Haley c. fell ard Eel Direct, Prin
II cess Mary and Cliff Moquette piled OF
), top of her.
II This happened in the first quartz
and none of the four finished the mile
II The judges declared all of them dis
q tanced and there was a generous how
l, from owners and hackers Of the dis
qualified horses.