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CAPACITY CROWD AT AURORA ATTENDANCE OF 20,000 Gathers at Exposition Park for Opening of Local Season. Jack Haskell Makes It Double for Lewis and Kemp in Winning Inaugural. AURORA. 111., May 1. The 1930 Chicago racing season got away to a fine start at Aurora this afternoon. The sport was ushered in before a crowd estimated at 20,000 which jammed the grandstand, rail and every vantage point with several hundred witnessing the running of the Inaugural Purse from the infield. Rain which fell shortly before and during the running of the first race failed to dampen the enthusiasm of those pleasure-bent, and excitement was at fever heat during the afternoon. Ten of the best sprinters at the track met in the Inaugural Handicap, which held the honor position on the card, and Jack Haskell made it a double for the racing establishment of Lewis and Kemp when he galloped home a handy winner. Taddywawa, an Aurora favorite, followed him to the finish, while Nora D. landed in third place. -Jockey Ralph Ayraud was on the winner. Starter Morrissey had much trouble with . the field which included some bad actors and it was over eleven minutes from the time that they first entered the Heisser-Cole gate until they were dispatched. Nora D. and Taddywawa caused most of the trouble, but the majority of the others were also responsible for the delay. OLD KICKArOO TIRES. Old Kickapoo rushed to the front from a good start and soon opened up a handy advantage, with Taddywawa close up and Jack Haskell gaining steadily. When Old Kickapoo began to tire in the stretch Taddywawa challenged, and jockey Ayraud, who had saved ground on the last bend, also moved his mount forward. At mid-stretch it could be seen that Old Kickapoo was through and that the battle would be between the Jones filly and the Lewis and Kemp colorbearer. Taddywawa assumed a short lead, but Ayraud kept hard at work on Jack Haskell, and the gray flyer, showing great endurance, slowly gained command and at the end had an advantage of over a length. Jack Haskell paid 6.08 for and his victory was a popular one. He was decorated with a blanket of roses by Mayor Charles H. Green of Aurora. Like Big Sweep, the previous winner from the Lewis and Kemp barn. Jack Haskell showed the benefit of a long winters rest and it is doubtful if he ever was in finer fettle than this afternoon. Bright Flash, from the stable of Samuel Ross, had the honor of winning the opening race of the Chicago season. Ridden in hustling fashion by apprentice Wimmer, she was saved behind the pacemakers to the stretch, then came with a rush that earned her the decision. Master Samover, always a dangerous factor, finished in second place and Bunyora was third. The latter showed a remarkable effort. Though racing wide on the final turn, he was good enough to overcome that handicap and finish well. Peter Ruff, one of the favorites, set the pace but tired in the last sixteenth. BIG SWEEP SCORES. I Big Sweep, stablemate of Peter Ruff, which quit so badly in the opening race, made amends for his failure by winning the second race in a driving finish. The winner, fresh and good after a winters rest, showed both speed and courage to score. He sprinted to the front soon after the start and, despite the determined efforts of Big Chief to draw away, he hung on to win by a neck. Big Chief, an outsider, showed surprisingly good form and was easily second best, while House Boy finished third. Twelve started over the six furlongs. Jones Stock Farms filly, Peggy J., proved much the best of the band of two-year-olds that started in the third race. Her winning-margin was ten lengths and she could have had a greater advantage had her rider chose to press her. Ridden by jockey Leyland, she . followed the pace set by Type in the early stages and when that youngster showed signs of tiring, went to the front to win with ridiculous ease. Zebra, after being buffeted about in the early stages, was good enough to get up in time to be second, while the tiring Type was third. This race was started from the Bahr gate and the start was all that could be desired. Peggy J. was the choice of many in the audience. The fourth race barely missed being a dead Continued on twenty-fourth page. ATTENDANCE OF 20,000 Continued from first page. heat. Two horses, Bill Phillips and Spanish Lay, raced to the finish so closely aligned that it was next to impossible for the casual observer to separate them. Backers of both waited with bated breath until the official numbers were posted and a shout went up from the majority as Bill Phillips was declared the winner. Spanish Lay set the pace, with Bill Phillips well back and, as the field turned for home, the latter challenged. Spanish Lay held on well, but at midstretch, Bill Phillips assumed command and it seemed as if he would surely win. In the last sixteenth Spanish Lay, under Mul-rooneys hard riding, came again and slowly got up almost on even terms with the ultimate winner. They raced past the wire as a team. Omrah finished in third place. Finnster and Mintcel staged a desperate battle in the sixth race and the former emerged victorious by inches. Mintcel and Fetching set the pace and when the latter was eliminated, due to Morans poor ride, Mintcel took command. Fetching challenged in the run home and Mintcel, though racing gamely, could not stave off the rush and lost by a narrow margin. Faddy finished in third place. Lancer was favored in the race but at no time showed an inclination to run. He was next to last on the back stretch.
