New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
French Tracks
Getting g Ready
L or Busy Time
Clemenceau Indifferent to
the Sport, but Boret
Steps In to Save 1t

PARIS, May 2.-The resumption of
racing OH the French tracks after near
ly five years of interruption is help
ing Paris to realize that the fighting
is at an end The racing season will
open Monday at Maisons Laffitte.
The bookmakers already are busy
along the boulevards and in cafes,
and the conversation in these places
is divided about evenly between
retrospective references to the riots of
May Day and to anticipation Of the
resumption Of racing Monday.
The French government hesitated be-
fore authorizing the track owners to
resume business. Premier Clemen-
ceau displayed the utmost indifference,
but Victor Boret, the Minister of
Agriculture, championing the cause Of
the breeders, finally prevailed upon
the Premier to permit the races.
Fashionable dressmakers along the
Rue de Ia Paix and the Avenue de
pOpera have been busy during the past
few weeks preparing gowns, and the
display at Maisons-Laffitte on Monday,
weather permitting, is expected to sur
pass many of the famous displays seen
on the race tracks before the war The
milliners and dressmakers anticipate
much business from fortunes made IN
the war.
The last race run in France before
the war was on July 20, 1914, at Chan
tilly, when Janville, owned by Wis
count Rivaud, with Jennings up, won
the PriX de la Route Malland at ten
to one. Racing in France in 1914 had
attained a high degree of prosperity.
Ar,,ar fol n r II n o.
those of Vanderbilt, Duryea and Hitch
cock, competed for French stakes, as
did also several prominent English
stables In 1914 the stakes which would
have been disputed had the war not
come amounted to more than $1,000
900.
At the morning trials this week on
the Maisons-Laffitte track the scene
was not dissmilar from those at Bel
mont Park and Saratoga. Jockeys,
trainers and "rail birds" already were
predominated in the languages spoken.
O'Neill, Stern and other famous
jockeys were on hand. O'Neill has
grown stout during the war.
The number of horses in training
has diminished greatly, owing to the
insufficient supply of oats and fodder.
Five thousand horses were trained in
1914, but at the present time only
1900 are being tried out.
Betting booths are being built at
Laffitte in anticipation of
heavy business. In 1913 the total
amount wagered at the various Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris, worth
100000 francs, will be run at Long
champ in June at date not yet fixed.
The Paris Grand Steeplechase, at
10000 francs, also will be run again
The present schedule calls for ninety
days of racing between May S and
the last of July between the tracks at
Maisons-Laffitte and st. Cloud just
as soon as the Canadian hospital build
ing on the st. Cloud track is removed.
There also will be foureen dayts Of
jumping races at Enghien. The track
at St. Quen has disappeared. 1t was
very popular with the masses because
Of its proximity to the centre of Paris
The stables of Captain Cohn and
Baron Maurice de Rothschild are great
favorites with the clockers. They are
more advanced than any of the others.
The American stables are slow in
making ready The jumping horses
appear to be poor lot, as none of that
type was developed during the war.
Three and four-year- olds refuse to take
low hurdles which aged campaigners.
although stiff and rheumatic, negotiate
with ease.
Baron de Rothschild, who has several
candidates for the Grand Prix de Paris,
told the correspondent to-day that he
hoped to win the Grand Prix again this
year. The baron captured the last
Grand Prix on June %, 1914, with
Sardanaple, bringing in more than
n 70