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CHICAGOS MAJOR RACING . SEASON BEGINS TODAY i l l L 1 1 HAWTHORNE OPENING Outlook Bright for Most Successful Meeting in Years. Twenty-Four Entered in ,000 Inaugural Handicap, Big Feature of Introductory Program. Chicagos 1936 season of racing, scheduled to extend over more than five months and embracing meetings at five different tracks, all situated in metropolitan Chicago, will be under way with todays opening of the thirty-one day session of the Chicago Business Mens Racing Association at rustic, old Hawthorne. This west side course, Chicagos senior track, will be ushering in the local season for the first time since the enactment of legislation favorable to the sport in this state a decade back. Following the close of Hawthorne on June 27, the thoroughbreds will move to Arlington Park on the far northwest side. Arlington will be in operation thirty days, at the conclusion of which the scene will shift to Washington Park on the far south side. After a thirty-one day stand at Washington Park the horses will move over to Lincoln Fields in Will County, thence back to Cook County for a short and final 1936 showing at Sportsmans Park. Lincoln Fields has been assigned twenty-nine days while Sportsmans will close the season with a meeting of eighteen days, terminating on October 31. The outlook as the season starts is more favorable than in several years and the operators of all of the tracks anticipate successful meetings. This expectancy is based on improved conditions generally, a greater interest in the sport and prospects for more attractive racing than in several seasons. INCREASED PURSES. Chicago tracks this year. hope to have the support of a greater number of the larger stables than ever before and in order to secure such establishments and all the brighter racing stars, are increasing purse distribution over the past several seasons. Hawthorne, Arlington Park, Washington Park and Lincoln Fields will bid for the best horses in training with stakes, handicaps and possibly some special events of a richness almost certain to attract the countrys outstanding thoroughbreds. Sportsmans Park also hopes to raise the quality of its entertainment. As a starter Hawthorne will distribute more than 80,000 in stakes and purses, 0,000 representing the aggregate added value of five handicaps and the Chicago Derby. The latter race will have an added value of 5,000, and the six features will head as many Saturday programs during the meeting. The other stakes, each having ,000 added, are the Hawthorne Inaugural Handicap, to be run today; Decoration Day Handicap, programmed for decision next Saturday; Hawthorne Juvenile Handicap, scheduled for running on June 6; Hawthorne Sprint Handicap, which is to have the feature billing on June 13, and the Illinois Owners Handicap, carded for June 27. closing clay of the meeting. The Chicago Derby, which, as the name implies, is fashioned for three-year-olds exclusively, will be run on June 20. INAUGURAL FEATURE. With twenty-four entries, representing many of the sports most influential and prominent patrons, the field for the Hawthorne Inaugural Handicap, six furlongs stakes feature of tomorrows program, affords an excellent preview of what local fans may expect during the seasons reign of the thoroughbred in this section. Outstanding among those going after honors in tomorrows headliner, are such speedsters as H. C. Hatchs Ariel Cross, the probable favorite, Mrs. E. Denemarks Corinto, J. J. Flanigans Chanccview, T. C. Wordens Billy Jones and Nedrow, Old Gold Continued on third page. CHICAGOS MAJOR RACING SEASON BEGINS TODAY Continued from first page. Stables Transmutable, Mrs. Ethel V. Mars Whiskolo and Forever Yours, C. A. Pecks West Main, Waggoner Bros. Money Getter, Nash Bros. Bright Light, Howard Bruces Jay Jay, H. H. Cross Rock X. and others. Top weight of" 120 pounds will be carried by the Clark Handicap winner, Corinto; Ariel Cross, Billy Jones and Chanceview will compete under imposts of 118 pounds each, with Whiskolo and Transmutable shouldering 113 pounds, from which imposts scale down to 100 pounds for San Luis Rey and Tracker. Ariel Cross, which on his last visit to the post lowered the Churchill Downs six furlongs track marlc to 1:10, is expected to rule favorite. Flashy performers are slated to clash in other of the eight events, the first starting at 2:20 oclock, and unless rain develops, the meetings first program will have decision on a lightning fast track. Hawthorne and the three other major tracks are not expected to offer a purse of less than ,000, and if conditions permit, overnight events of a greater value will be numerous at several of them. Racing at all local courses will be conducted under the regulations of the Illinois State Racing Commission, with representatives of the turf board present to supervise many details in connection with each days racing at all tracks. The commission is composed of Peter B. Carey, chairman; Leo Spitz, Walter C. Peacock and George Foster, secretary. License fees and other levies exacted by the state will, if the season is successful, as track operators expect it to be, produce an increased amount of revenue to the commonwealth over the past several years, it is believed. Racings contribution to the state treasury finances several vital branches of the states work. Keeping apace with the times, Hawthorne introduces several innovations, none more important than the electric photo eye, a high speed camera capable of producing in completed picture form the finish of a race almost within seconds after the horses flash past the wire. The, eye photos will be used in deciding all close finishes during the meeting. It is the first such device to be installed at a Chicago track. Electric timing of all races and other up-to-the-minute features in connection with the racing will be used. At the same time Hawthorne as a whole will be presented to its legions of patrons in more appealing dress and arrangement than ever before, much having been expended for improvements since the previous meeting. Albert Sabath, president; C. W. Hay, general manager; Thomas H. McHale, C. W. Bidwill, Charles Ford and other officers of the Chicago Business Mens Racing Association, operating the west side track, have overlooked nothing in preparing for the meeting. As evidence of the popularity of Hawthorne, practically all boxes in both the grandstand and clubhouse have been sold for the entire period of the meeting, and included among purchasers are many notable devotees of the sport residing in this area. Adhering to a policy of popular admission prices, the same fees, to the general enclosure and to the clubhouse, as prevailed last year, will be in vogue. Though many new faces are among them, Hawthornes staff of racing officials includes many outstanding in their particular branch of work. C. J. FitzGerald, representing the state racing commission, and Julius G. Recdcr will serve with judge and general manager Hay in the stewards stand, while the placing of horses will be in charge of P. C. Galliger, Robert McAuliffe and Charles Trimble. The starling will be done by G. R. Wingfield, with judge Rccder also acting as racing secretary and handicappcr. All starts will be from the Bahr gate.
