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IMMENSE CROWD AT AURORA 0 All Attendance Records Broken at Fox River Valley Course on Opening Day 0 Wonderful Spring Weather and Great Interest of Chicago Racegoers Responsible for Large Gathering —Aurora Inaugural Handicap to Flora M. After Close Finish With Shasta Gold ♦ AURORA, 111., May 1. — All attendance records for Aurora went by the boards when an enormous crowd was on hand at the Exposition course to witness the ushering in of the Illinois racing season for 1928. The big crowd was considerably in excess of the managements expectations and the programs were exhausted long before the horses were called to the post for the inaugural race. For the first time since racing has been established at Aurora fine weather prevailed for the opening. This was partially responsible for the big outpouring, but the general opinion is that racing has taken a firm hold on the thoroughbred enthusiasts of this section andand than an era of prosparity unpre-:ented in the history of Illinois racing is n store for all the cou- M in or adjacent to Chicago. Manager Trimble and his associates were enthusiastic over the success achieved on tho inaugural day. There were no marring features and the racing activities were of a routine order, as if there had been no interruption of the sport since last spring. The crowd included many notable personages in all the spheres of life and they took a good deal of interest in the racing and attending incidents. Close finishes and fast racing were the order throughout the day. In some races the finish had the big crowd almost to the point of frenzy. The track record for one-half mile was reduced when Coal Black, an outstanding favorite, got home in advance of his opponents in :4T%. The Aurora Inaugural Handicap, which served as the feature, brought to the post fairly good ones and it resulted, in addition to a close finish by Flora M. and Shasta Gold, in the track record of 1 :39% being equaled. The leading pair fought it out in strenuous style, with the vitcory in doubc until the very last stride. ALLENS SUPERIOR RIDING. Shasta Gold began with a fine display of speed that enabled him to subdue 1at. his closest follower, long before three-fourths of the mile journey had been completed. With the disposal of Pat, Shasta Gold appeared capable of winning, but Flora M., coming with a rush, ranged alongside of the leader and they continued on even terms in the stretch until the very last stride, where Allens superior riding over J. Inzelone prevailed and Flora M gained the verdict. Sera-jevo was many lengths in back, having gained fast in the stretch. H. P. Gardners Sixty was considered as a probable factor in the race, but every chance he might have had was lost when W. Noel repeatedly took him out of contention and he finished far back. The introductory number furnished a spectacular finish between Quin Chin and Go Foin, the pair fighting it out spiritedly for almost the entire distance, with Quin Chin succeeding in winning by a matter of inches. Griego finished in third place, a considerable distance in the wake of the leading pair. There were twelve starters in the race and they were dispatched with Go Foin and Gab-aldon leading. Quin Chin, however, with a good display of speed, joined with Go Foin, and the pair raced as a team the remainder of the distance. Go Foin, at one period when approaching the stretch, seemed the likely winner as Quin Chin was losing ground by racing wide, but the Russell representative rallied again near the end and managed to keep slightly in advance. Quin Chin started the backers of favorites in auspicious style, for he was a well supported choice. TAKE A CHANCE BEST. K. L Majors Take a Chance proved best of the good band which started in the second race. His victory was attained in easy manner after he had led for practically the entire distance. Ball Gee, coming strongly at the end, outstayed Rival for second place. The leading trio at the finish were always the dominating factors in the race, with Take a Chance never seriously in danger of defeat and being well in hand at the finish. Mint Toddy might have given Take a Chance a stout argument but for being away poorly and forced to close an immense gap. He finished close up after being far out of it. The third race, at a half mile, marked the running of the first two-year-old race of the year in this section. It brought eleven youngsters to the? post and Coal Black graduated in»o the winners ranks when he succeeded in Continued on twentieth page. IMMENSE CROWD AT AURORA Continued from first page. defeating Lena M. in the closing strides to earn the victory. The early racing was dominated by French Lane, with Lena M. a close follower. Coal Black joined the pair when they reached the stretch and in the final drive Coal Black outstayed Lena M. French Lane took a bad swerve which caused him to relinquish the lead an eighth out. but he rallied again in the last sixteenth and was going gamely toward the end. The time of the race — :47*i — established a new track record for the distance. Coal Black was the third successive favorite. In the secondary feature Conquistador, a crack from Tijuana, was made a pronounced favorite and he was the first of the choices during the afternoon to fail. He was outrun by Prisoner after a spectacular euel in which Prisoner easily proved best. Conquistador from a fast beginning raced promptly into a good lead with Prisoner and Flaherty striving hard to reduce his lead. Conquistador held on well for a half mile, but thereafter he began tiling, enabling Prisoner to join him an eighth out and then in the final drive that ensued Prisoner proved easily best. Flaherty under poor riding did not find his racing stride until well into the stretch, where he came with a rush. There was considerable betting attention for Field Marshall, but that son of Man o War showed bad post manners and at the release of the barrier reared, resulting in his being away too poorly to be factor in the racing.
