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RUSHING WORK AT DOWNS Big Force of Men Putting Finishing Touches on Improvements at Famous Louisville Track. LOUISVILLE. Ky., April 30.— Colonel Andrew Vennie, resident manager at Churchill Downs, had a full force of carpenters, electricians and landscape gardeners out all day Sunday rushing up the work on the new clubhouse and pergola and whipping into shape the big plant in order that it will be spick and span by the opening day of the spring race meeting, May 12. Colonel Vennie while he only recently assumed the managerial position, is familiar with every detail of the work to do on the vast racing plant. Explaining the plans of the new clubhouse, where at least 3,000 additional persons •an be comfortable seated, he said that the new boxes being constructed were all reserved by the New York delegation, which would come to the Derby on five or six special trains. These advantageous seats are close to the first turn, right after the finish. The Chicago Derby reservationists will get about the best seats to view the race. These seats include practically all the mezzanine boxes along the part of the original brick grandstand and two rows back of the boxes. These mezzanine boxes will seat eight persons each and will take care of 200 of the Chicago Athletic Club and 300 of the Hamilton Club. In addition to this train there will be five other specials from New York, or the Hast, according to railroad representatives here. Already the Pullman cars for that date on most of the eastern and central roads have been engaged and there are still demands for more private cars. Colonel Vennie. in speaking of the Derby arrangments, said : "It looks as if we are going to have some trouble taking care of the crowd now, but we are making more room every day. Always some plan can be devised to take care of the overflow on a big course like Churchill Downs. With the baby grandstand completed last year and the new clubhouse about done the stands now are more than l.ooo feet long and with the new terraced space in front of the clubhouse and pergola there probably will be a way out. Of course, indications are that something over 60,000 persons will view the Derby this year and there is a good reason for this. "Everything points to a field of more than twenty starters, although it is hard to tell how many. We can take care of thirty or thirty-five starters without crowding since widening the track at the stretch bend and at the first turn. The interest this year seems to be much more intense than in former seasons. All the intended starters are said to be high-class racers and the number of them coming from different parts of the country makes that of much more interest. We will try to give every person who attends the spring meeting at Churchill Downs some high-class sport, and especially a great Derby," concluded Colonel Vennie. — . « .
