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Here and There on the Turf Illinois Racing Season Lexington Derby Horses Lack LackStar Star Bradley Colts Show Improve ¬ ment mentNarragansett Narragansett Shines for Open ¬ ing ingChurchill Churchill Downs Prospects Good The Fox Valley Jockey Club inaugurates aix months of Chicago racing today at the greatly improved Aurora course With the sport definitely on the upgrade throughout the country Chicago track owners are opti ¬ mistic that their troubles are over and that they can look forward to a financially suc ¬ cessful season With the type of entertain ¬ ment they expect to offer to the public new attendance figures and riuituel handle are confidently predicted predictedWith With the American Derby and Hawthorne Gold Cup scheduled for renewal coupled with the addition of several rich events in the shape of futurities Windy City track operators believe that the best horses in the country will be attracted to the Chicago meetings meetingsNew New blood has been injected into the man ¬ agement of two of the major tracks Wash ¬ ington Park and Hawthorne President Walter L Gregory and Ben Lindheimer will endeavor to take the place of Roy Carruth ers in the management of Washington Park bringing fresh ideas into play and they may jrork out something that will benefit the south side course courseHawthorne Hawthorne has recalled judge Joseph A Murphy and that veteran with the help of the new president Charles Krutchoff and owner Charles W Bidwill will strive to re ¬ gain the prestige lost by the old west side course in recent years Arlington Park is offering its usual stake races which are rich and varied enough to interest the wealthiest of owners With the Classic heading the seasons stake list the American and Illinois Derbys the Hawthorne Gold Cup Arling ¬ ton Futurity Lassie Stakes and numerous other valuable prizes Chicago track owners have optimisticInsofar every reason to be optimistic Insofar as the Kentucky Derby candidates shown at Keeneland are concerned the Churchill Downs attraction is an open race The revival of the Blue Grass Stakes which on three occasions when it was decided at the old Kentucky Association course result ¬ ed in onetwo victories for horses from the E R Bradley stable and on two other occa sions saw them running second and third Was Tvon by Fencing a gelding which could not get close to the top threeyearolds per ¬ forming in Florida this winter Immediately back of Maxwell Howards colorbearer at the end of the Blue Grass were Colonel Brad leys latest hopefuls for the Derby Billion ¬ aire and Brooklyn The performances of all three of these horses were such that they must be regarded as certain Derby starters even though Pompoonand War Admiral now appear standouts in the probable field fieldBoth Both of the Bradley horses displayed im ¬ provement over their efforts earlier in the meeting when taken into camp by Grey Gold In the former event Billionaire was unable to run down Grey Gold while Brooklyns stretch bid fell far short In the Blue Grass Stakes Billionaire had the speed to get to the front and set a steady pace over the slow track until Fencing wore him down enter ¬ ing the final furlong and then he hung on doggedly Brooklyn probably would have been returned the winner but for the great loss of ground he suffered when George Woolf permitted him to drift out in the stretch while paying too much attention to applying his whip He was coming on grad ¬ ually at the finish and he now may be consid ¬ ered a sure Derby starter even though Brad ¬ ley has that wager with Pompoons owner to think about As for Old Nassau and Gosum they were outclassed while Galsun did not care for the going as his record suggested suggestedTwo Two new meetings will begin today an indication that the season is getting well Continued on thirtysecond page HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page under way Narragansett Park will inau ¬ gurate the long New England campaign with the first of its three meetings to be conduct ¬ ed during the year Thoroughbreds will per ¬ form over the popular Rhode Island course for the next nineteen days the conclusion being set for Saturday May 22 During this period seven stakes will be decided and judg ¬ ing by their nomination lists they should attract excellent fields and provide first class sport New England fans have been going aracing for sufficient time how for them to have learned the difference between the sport offered by good horses and that by the poorer grades and the days when the Narragansett stakes are offered undoubt ¬ edly will reflect increases in attendance attendanceNumerous Numerous improvements have been made at Narragansett in line with president Walter E OHaras policy of always having the park in tiptop condition Nothing up ¬ sets him more than a stray piece of paper on the lawn when the gates are opened to receive the patrons Despite the plants com ¬ parative newness all buildings have been painted again while new awnings have re ¬ placed the old All uniformed employees will greet the first days crowd in new regalia while the huge parking space practically has been made over through grading the laying of ten thousand tons of gravel and construc ¬ tion of new cement roadways The beautif i cation program also has been continued with the result that Narragansett is more easier on the eye than ever before Business con ¬ ditions are good in New England and Nar ragansetts first meeting should send the season in that section away to a brilliant start startChurchill Churchill Downs whose Kentucky Derby meeting also swings into action today like ¬ wise will present a polished appearance for its opening Numerous changes have been made since last year in the historic old plant one of which will prove most beneficial especially on Derby day That is the addi ¬ tion of a large mezzanine wagering pavillion Many new boxes have been installed in front of the grandstand and these will be open to general admission patrons on all days except Derby Day when they will be reserved A beautiful new lane flanked by stone fences and leading from the paddock to the track has been installed Louisville has entirely re ¬ covered from the hardships suffered during the flood and the nineteenday meeting at Churchill Downs promises to be the most successful in many years The Derby itself has resulted in an unprecedented demand for reserved seats which were sold several months ago and fair weather on next Sat ¬ urday may be the final contributing cause for the largest Derby crowd yet
