Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-24
RAGING BECOMES CUBA's
FAVOR|TE PAsT|NE
Havana People Turn Out in Large
Number To Witness "thc
Sport OF Kings"
NUMBER OF STAKES HUNG UP
RED Cross Day" Witnessed Trenicn-
dOus Outpouring Mt Oriental Park,
All Proceeds Going to Cuban and
American Relief Organizations.
ny THOMAS X. LYNCH.
IIAvANA. CUBA. February 2a.-R

HAVANA, CUBA, February 23.--Rac-
ing in Havana. now the only sport OF
its kind in progress north of tho t:dua-
;or IS fast becoming the national
Dastimc of the Cubans Always lovers
Of outdoor recreation. they have tlkcn
To N" sport Of ,!ngs" in "A manner
ina: makes it plainly cvidc2; that rae
ing will. in time. he even mora popular
tina" baseball on the Island
II Il. Brown has spcn, a fortune n
thu construction Of Or:enta, lark. lie
AKA out most rfotcHtiouS plane which
IN We beginninig. were scof'2! ~ by
thcs. who had little Faith tia; :: sue
ccsSful race meeting could be given N
CI,ha. His originri ambitious po!ici,s
hr:" been steadily adhered y. ard It
is no idle boas 20 say that The winter
meetings at Oriental Park uow COM
parr favorah!y with any in the Cn!tri
Star'S. Certainly there is no finer r":e
cou:So anywnt'r Ihan here. S:.uI.ed,
a. il is, in naiuiGt bowl. wi:h. lie
grand stand fui'y twenty feet above
Tie track. visitors are enabled 20 are
:hc running OF every foot of every
contest.
The meeting ,his winter has depend
ell almost solely on local support. and
- :uccess has been remarkable. There
i little patronage from the United
states, owing to the war, but despite
,his the crowds are as large. and the
previous season. This, Of course. means
that racing is firmly established here,
and that each succeeding meeting
should be better than it's predecessor
Racing's growth has not been OF the
mushroom sort. on the contrary, 1t
has been steady and healthy, and each
season has shown an Improvement in
the quality of tho sport.
NUMBER or STAKES
OFFERED ny JOCKEY CLIB
y number of stakes were hung up
by the Cuban American Jockel Club
this winte--about twenty in all
Purses ranging in value from $1,000 10
81 500 were added To these events. The
winners portions with tho entrance
moneys. have amounted. in some in
stances, TO as much as $1,000. These
stakes attracted Il better class of
horses. and already several horSemen
have announced their intention OF
bringing down some hiGh-class stake
performers next winter to compete in
these fixtures.
Large crowds have been in attend
ance. Red Cross Day, January RI, was
Il notable one III a racing way. 1t
marked the largest gathering that ever
turned ont 20 witness Il contest OF
thorouEhbrcds in Cuba. Fully $1,000
persons crowded into Oriental park.
The zoo boxes in the grand stand and
ciIpHptSt NcIS slit tsNtTY So
cially prominent family. and all the
notahles il Official life were represent
ed. and to have been abson, meant
that one did not belong Many OF
the ho@cS were filled with prominent
Americans. The boxes set apart for
TIE diplomatic corps were dccoratc cd
With the flags of the nations they rep
resented. Every one who entered the
gates that day paid an admission. and
the entire proceeds were given Ia the
American and Cuban Red Cross funds.
The Cuban American Jockey Club got
up program of eleven events. seven
Of which were for thoroughhrcds and
four OF the novelty sort. One of the
latter was for army horses ridden by
Cuban army officers. another for
ponies. and another an event in which
thoroughbreds competed against foot
runners, motorcycles and automobiles.
Tho untirng efforts or Madame
Mariana Seva dc Menocal, President
Of the Cuban Red Cross and wife of the
President of the republic. went Il long
way toward making tn. occasion the
great success IL WAS, and the public
responded in an enthusiastic manner
TO the call OF the First Lady OF the
Land"
a review OF the great success of
Continued on Second Page.)