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: I DOWNS TRACK MUDDY I Rain Halts Work on Improvements but Horses Take Exercise. : Flood of Requests for Derby Day Reservations Continues Room for 100,000 Spectators. LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 31 While Intermittent . rains during the" last twenty-four hours caused suspension of work on improvements being made at the track and also curtailed training activities, there was much doing during that time at Churchill Downs, where the famous Kentucky Derby will be renewed on Saturday, May 7. For ore thing, the thoroughbreds did not entirely desert the track, though it was deep in slop, and there were several arrivals from southern racing points. Also arrangements for receiving additional stables, several being among the more prominent scheduled to take part in the Churchill Downs meeting, which gets under way on Saturday, April 30, were carried out by advance representatives of these various establishments and the Downs executive offices continued to buzz along amid the greatest activity. PERENNIAL FLOOD. The perennial flood of Derby Day requests continued unabated, the track offices, under Col. M. J. Winn, president of Churchill Downs, functions at full force while dealing with the numerous communications. Although all of the hundreds of boxes have been sold for the day on which Americas premier race will be renewed, increased capacity of Churchill Downs permits assurance to all that they will be accommodated, though late applicants for reserved facilities will be required to get along with general conveniences, now more desirable than ever before. With an estimated capacity of 100,-000, no one. will be turned away from Churchill Downs on May 7. Outstanding among the horses to reach i the famous local track today was Zevson, Continued on twentu-stxth vage. DOWNS TRACK MUDDY Continued from first page. owned by Mrs. E. H. Bartlett of Detroit and runner-up to War Admiral in the 0,000 Widener Challenge Cup at Hialeah Park. Shipped back to New Orleans from Florida, the Bartlett handicap star arrived here Wednesday morning. He is eligible for several rich handicaps to be run during the Louisville spring meeting. In charge of trainer Joseph Baumbach, the son of Zev and Delphine was accompanied by the stable companions, Leading Bet, Air Pocket and Thornby. BURGER HORSES INCLUDED. Others in the same car included Lady Briar, Frank Ormont, Bracye Jackson and Kapena, trained by former jockey Nick Burger and owned by his wife, and the horses Joe Hubbard, local turfman, and Jeff ONeil of Jeffersonville, Ind., campaigned at the New Orleans Fair Grounds during the long season just closed. In several cars at-J tached to the same train, but tagged for Keeneland at Lexington, were the stables of Mrs. A. M. Creech, Mrs. Edward Haughton and Frank Seremba. They unloaded at Keeneland several hours later. An inspection made in the Louisville yards indicated that all the horses stood the trip in good fashion. During the next week a number of stables are scheduled to arrive here from Louisiana, California, Arkansas and Florida. Only a few horses were asked to breeze on the water-soaked tracks at the Downs and Douglas Park, among them J. S. Haw-kins Derby nominee, Pepper, which breezed seven furlongs on the former in 1:35. After receiving several "horses from Lexington and sending a few head to pasture, trainer Jack Hodgins has thirteen for A. Pelleteri and M. L. Emerichs Millsdale Stable, A. B. Letellier and Mrs. Roy Carruthers at Churchill Downs. They are Startling, Old Forester, Wanderobo, Garry, Arcadian, Her-mosillo, Your Buddy, Emir, Bonny Clabber, White Castle, Indian Kettle, Dominique and a two-year-old unnamed filly. All of these are in satisfactory condition to be prepared for spring racing in the Blue Grass. Harold West, who rode for the stable in New Orleans, is reporting to Hodgins today. DRENCHING RAIN. Until yesterdays drenching rains forced a halt, work on the mammoth totalisator board and observation and presentation stand in the center field has been progressing rapidly. Construction is about three-quarters completed and work will be resumed as soon as the weather permits. The unfavorable weather also delayed removal of the old stand formerly occupied by the placing judges, who, like the stewards, will work from new quarters atop the clubhouse this year. Exterior painting, landscaping and other outdoor work also suffered interruption. A new office on the ground floor to be occupied by Colonel Winn will be ready for him on his return from Chicago Tuesday. These quarters adjoin the general business offices. A beautiful painting of the Derby winner, Omaha, the work of Martin Stain-forth, adorns one of the walls of the new office. The painting was presented to Colonel Winn by William Woodward, owner of Omaha. The stand which formerly was used by the stewards and which has been lowered and moved to a point near the axis of the center field will be turned over to trainers. From this stand horsemen can have an excellent view of the entire race and thus closely observe and accurately time their horses. I j
