AND OTHER SKETCHES 209 



THE MONTEEAL JOCKEY CLUB. 



The possession of the newest and best-equipped course 

 in the Dominion of Canada is the proud boast of the 

 citizens of Montreal, and those who have visited Blue 

 Bonnets and noted its perfections find it difficult to dis- 

 pute the claim. Nestling at the foot of Mount Royal and 

 occupjdng 167 acres of choice land, nature has done much 

 for the superb course, but the brain of the landscape 

 gardener has been employed and it is no stretch of the 

 imagination to say that when all the plans under way 

 for the beautification of the plant, some of which are as 

 yet in embryo, shall have reached fruition. Blue Bonnets 

 will stand comparison with any race course on the Amer- 

 ican continent. 



The course is so conveniently situated that it may be 

 reached by electric cars in twenty-five minutes from the 

 heart of the city, or by a most excellent road, if one pre- 

 fers to motor or drive; while on race days the special 

 trains over the Canadian Pacific bring patrons within a 

 hundred yards of the club house, the journey from "Wind- 

 sor station occupying only a quarter of an hour. 



The track proper is one mile and an eighth in circuit 

 and has two ''chutes," one for races at a mile and the 

 other for events at seven furlongs. The safety of the 

 contestants and the desire that the best horse should win 

 induced the management to make the width of the course 

 100 feet, and the fact that so large a percentage of favor- 

 ites win over its surface is proof that the aim of those 

 who projected the plan was accomplished. 



The steeplechase course in the inner field is, in the 

 opinion of experts, as good as can be found anywhere. 

 There are many steeplechase enthusiasts in and around 

 Montreal, and some of the gentlemen who occupy execu- 



