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AWAIT SPORTSMANS OPENING Practically All Preparations Completed for Mondays Program. Management Confident That Only Favorable Weather Is Necessary to Make Auspicious Beginning. CICERO, 111., Oct 7. With most of the preparations out of the way, officials of the National Jockey Club today were giving almost their entire attention to plans for the actual opening of the Sportsmans Park eighteen-day meeting next Monday. An announcement from the offices of John Pat-ton, secretary and treasurer, was to the effect that with favorable weather prevailing Mondays opening may exceed even the most successful of numerous bright inaugurals at the local miniature course. Robert S. Shelley, general manager and racing secretary, has satisfied himself that if not handicapped by a bad track, the first days program should stand up all around as outlined in the condition book and bring out well matched fields for all events. Shelley bases thi3 expectancy on the number and caliber of horses which will be available. Stalls at Sportsmans Park are filling rapidly and Shelley anticipates an overflow of several hundred to be housed at Hawthorne. Sportsmans general manager and secretary today announced the appointment of his older brother, William J. Shelley, as a patrol judge for the meeting. He also expects stewards George W. Schilling and Joseph J. Graddy from their homes in California and Kentucky, respectively, by Friday. With eight races to be run daily, it was announced that the first event would be called to the post at 2 oclock. Entries for the grade A and grade B handicaps, namely, the Cicero Handicap and the Crete Handicap, which will be run Wednesday, close next Monday, while those for tho Great I Lakes Handicap, which will feature the i program on October 17, the first Saturday ! of the meeting, must be in by Thursday. Among the arrivals here for the meeting is R. Cochran, who came in from Akron with Try Fair, Polly E., Eispan and Over Shady, while Felix Rando came in from the same point with Whitharral, Ruffday and Arctic Star.
