New-York tribune., 1919-05-19
Banner Season
For Racing ON
Gotham Tracks
Enthusiasm of Large Crowds
at Jamaica Augurs Well
for Record-Brcaking Year
Bv w. !. Macbeth

Metropolitan racing will be a big
"co" this year. There is nc doubt Of
it. The enthusiasm manifested the
first three days of the spring meeting
of the Metropolitan Jockey Club at
Jamaica presages banner season.
From now on the class Of competition
should be better And. with the better
ment the sports following is bound to
improve.
There is nothing of which to com
plain over the patronage to date More
people attended Jamaica the last three
days of the past week than ever be-
fore visited the track in like span
since the good old days of open bet
ting. Upward of 10000 were on hand
for Thursdays opening. Fully $1,000
we're out Saturday. The weather both
days was not only disagreeably cold,
but threatening in the extreme when
the race trains left the city.
So far the Metropolitan Jockey Club
has been confronted with serious diff
hcultes The Pimlco meeting. where
richer prize money was to be had. CON
ficted with the opening days here.
Many of the more prominent stables
and the best runners in other stables
remained till the close of the Maryland
season. Some remained as matter
of choice; others because it was i'm
possible to secure shipping accommo-
dations.
Realizing the existing difficulties the
public has accepted the local opening
programmes with good grace. The diff
culties should adjust themselves speed
ily Whether or not the Pimlico horses
will be shipped direct to Belmont Park,
which will open its gates to the public
Thursday afternoon the fact remains
that henceforth there should be enough
good performers TO round out the racing
programmes in much better fashion
To date there have been far too few
distance races, as distance races now
90. For three days the cards have been
topheavy with sprint races for thor
oughbreds Of various ages. AS a mat
ter OF fact Of late years the American
turf has specialized too much in sprint
ing. 1t would be good idea to get
back to the competitions over Il dis
tance. The Jockey Club made a move
in that direction last year. 1t should
sec that the scheme is carried out at all
the local tracks this season.
1t is to be hoped also that the stew
ards of the Metropolitan track will see
fit to keep the sport clean and honest.
A good start has been made in this
direction. The game can be made just
as big this season as the stewards care
to make it. Fearlessness in admins
tration with short shrift for all Of
tenders, should be the slogan
The patrol judge, who promptly re-
ported Oleaster's foul on Flying Orb
in the third race Saturday, which re-
suited in prompt disqualification of the
offender, showed the proper spirit. In
itiative pays. The big holiday crowd
openly approved, because even Oleas-
ter's supporters saw the foul and were
pleased to note that the officials had
the interests of the general public at
heart.
Improvement in the quality and
quantity of the racing fields is prom
ised in to-day's entries for Jamaica,
though, unfortunately, all save one of
the events will be of the sprint variety
The feature will be the fourth race.
she Newtown Stakes Of $4,000, for three
year-ods and upward, at six furlongs