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DETROIT MAJOR RACING ASSURED Leaseholders of Fair Grounds Close Contract With Judge Murphy to Serve as Director of thr Sport Dickerson Starter CICERO, 111., Aug. 3. Detroit is safely on its way to major racing. The lease of the Fair Grounds by the Detroit Racing Association, composed of some of the most substantial business men in the State of Straits, has brought to the sport the very best element in the whole state of Michigan. Representatives of the new association arrived here this morning and immediately closed a contract with judge Joseph A. Murphy to take entire charge of the racing as director of the sport. A prominent local man of Detroit will serve as central manager in charge of the business end of the organization. It was decided to open the first meeting on September 2 and run twenty-five or more days. Judge Murphy for the present will direct the affairs of the association from his Hawthorne office. After the close of the Hawthorne meeting, he will go to Detroit to remain until the close of the Detroit season. In -1934 the spring meeting will open May 19 and run until July 7, and the fall meeting from September 1 to October 6. No purse less than 00 will be offered and two features of ,000 each will be on the daily program and in addition to this, an attractive list of stakes will be drawn to close in the next few weeks. Judge Murphy began at once to assemble the machinery for the operating of the track. His first appointment was that of Roy Dickerson as starter, and one of the Bahr gates will be shipped to Detroit for his use. Joseph McLennan has consented to take the position of racing secretary and make the book, although he will be unable to attend the first meeting personally and will send his son, Charles, to represent him in the position. Other Hawthorne officials will be included in the roster of officials and it is probable that Norman Miller will be sent to Detroit to place the track in order and look after the stable assignments. Improvements will be started immediately on the track, which will include the rebuilding of all track fences, five hundred additional stalls, a modern up-to-date mutuel betting ring, clubhouse and jockeys quarters and also administration buildings. The track has been, the scene of some brilliant harness racing in the days of the old circuit and some running races have been held at times during the fair, but the recent passage of a bill legalizing the mu- tuels has given the first opportunity for a pretentious running meeting. Judge Murphy has a large acquaintance in Detroit, where he managed the old Grosse Pointe track, was presiding steward of the old Highland Park track on the site of which one of the Ford factories now stands and has also served at the Windsor track and at Devonshire.
