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AURORA AURORA OPENS OPENS ILLINOIS ILLINOIS RACING RACING SEASON SEASON TODAY TODAY ******** ******** *•** *•** Churchill Churchill Downs Downs Track Track Crew Crew Works Works Hard Hard to to Improve Improve Sloppy Sloppy Course Course GOLDSEEKERSWORKOUT ♦ Lone Filly in Derby Field Gallops One Mile in 1:43. i ♦ Bold Venture Goes Three-Quarters in 1 :1 3 y6 — Derby Riders Expected From East Today. LOUISVILLE, Ky. April 30.— Mud, annual bugaboo of the Kentucky Derby, made its appearance at Churchill Downs today and with the sixty-second running of the great turf fixture just forty-eight hours away, a large track crew fought diligently against time to have the course in splendid condition again Saturday. Training tests were completed this morning with performances by Gold Seeker and Bold Venture, and another canvass of trainers indicated seventeen starters on a fast track, and possibly three less if the going is muddy, Count Morse being the latest withdrawal. Showers last night caused the track to be sloppy today, and more rain was forecast for tonight, but a prediction of clearing skies tomorrow was made by the government meteorologist here. As the local course is one of the fastest-drying tracks in the country, because of sandy composition, it can be whipped into excellent shape in a days time. Announcement was made today by R. E. Potts, trainer of the Bomar Stable, that Grand Slam, rated as the best mudder in the Derby field, would go to the post unassisted should the track be in an off condition, but that he would have Forest Play for support with the going fast. THE FIGHTERS STATUS. Robert McGarvey, trainer of the Milky Way Farms, made no definite statement regarding The Fighter in the event of mud, but the Bull Dog colt is believed to be at a distinct disadvantage if such a condition prevails. He has been declared from previous important races when the track has not been in fast or good shape. Although William Schmidt, owner of the Superior Stable, is anxious to have his colors carried in the Derby, he may not permit Holl Image to start if the footing is uncertain, but the Arkansas Derby winner, an improved horse, will go to the post otherwise. After a conference with Warren Wright, owner of Calumet Farm, trainer Bert Williams announced the declaration of Count Morse, which had showed brief speed in the Trial Purse, Tuesday, his lone competitive effort this year. Williams stated that the son of Reigh Count and Nellie Morse was not quite ready for such a strenuous engagement as the Derby, and he would be given every opportunity to come to hand gradually. Count Morse will be returned to Calumet Farm, near Lexington, and will accompany the stable to Hawthorne several weeks hence. FILLY SOUNDS WARNING. Because of the failure of Nellie Flag, Mata Hari, Bazaar, Prudery and other good fillies that have tried for the Derby since Regret emerged victorious in 1915, little attention has been paid in local racing circles to Gold Seeker, winner of the Chesapeake Stakes over Delphinium, Grand Slam, Teu-fel and other good three-year-olds, but she issued a sharp warning this morning in working a mile a mile in the slop in 1:43, hard held all the way. Trainer R. E. Handlen arrived from Maryland to supervise the final preparation of the daughter of Messenger and Golden Fair, and he was immensely pleased with her effort. He stated that the Foxcatcher Farms filly, which had campaigned during the winter at Santa Anita Park, where she finished third in the Derby, required but comparatively little training and went through a thorough workout last Saturday before leaving Havre de Grace. Gold Seeker was not asked for speed here until today, because Handlen wished to give her sufficient time to get over the effects Continued on twenty-second page. DOWNS TRACK WORKS HARD TO IMPROVE SLOPPY COURSE Continued from first page. of shipping and it was not necessary to do much with her. She went through her trial accompanied by Seven Star, another three-year-old filly but the latter was driving to keep up with the daughter of Messenger while she was fighting for her head. Breaking at the mile post the two fillies went the first quarter in :25?5, half mile in :51, three-quarters in 1:16*3 and back to the starting point in 1:43. The time by quarters was :2523, :25?i, :2543 and :2614 showing i the excellence with which she was rated. The Delaware-owned miss never has been gifted with early speed and she won the Chesapeake by coming from next to last place in the final three furlongs. She also came from far back to take third honors in the Santa Anita Derby. Bold Ventures speed was sharpened up by a workout at six furlongs, which he negotiated in 1:135. Under the supervision of trainer Max Hirsch, Morton L. Schwartz Derby hopeful broke at the five and a half furlongs post and finished at the seven and a half furlongs post, evidently to teach the St. Germans colt that he is not to pull up when he goes by the stands for the first time. Displaying excellent ability in the sloppy I going, Bold Venture went the opening quar-| ter in :23y5, the half mile in :472;, five furlongs in l:007i and six furlongs in l:13»i, moving along handily at the wind up. George Tappen, who is in charge of the Wheatley Stables Teufel and Belair Studs Granville and Merry Pete, until head trainer James Fitzsimmons arrives tomorrow, reported that he bad been informed that Tommy Malley would come from New York to ride the last named colt. Malley is due tomorrow, along with Raymond Workman, Jimmy Stout, Eddie Litzen- berger and Ira Hanford, from New York and Maurice Peters and Joe Renick from Maryland. All the other Derby jockeys have been here since the opening of the meeting. With Workman engaged to ride Grand Slam, Jimmy Bryson will be up on Forest Play if that colt is a starter, and Danny Brammer will have the mount on Sangreal, if The Fighter goes pbstward, otherwise Alfred Robertson will handle the Sir Gal-lahad III. colt.
