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AURORAS OPENING ON MAY 2 Entries for Fox Valley Inaugural Handicap Close Next Friday. Expect Large and Capable Field Track In Fine Condition Many Horses Are Training Daily. AURORA, 111., April 23. Racing secretary Dick Leigh, along with assigning the few remaining stalls at the Aurora track and attending to the other last minute details of the busy office, will get around to taking entries for the Fox Valley Inaugural Handicap. This inaugural feature of the Chicago turf season is to be decided over six furlongs on Monday, May 2. It carries a value of ,500. Entries for the event close Friday with weights to be announced Saturday. It will be the first race run here under the new high weight rules for handicaps. Under the new ruling, the top weight in the Inaugural must be at least 122 pounds. The first work sheets from Aurora indicate that none other than Rushaway, Al G. Tarns "Iron horse," may be a candidate for the honors. Rushaway earned his iron horse reputation by taking the Illinois and La-tonia Derbys on successive days. While this hardly sounds like the record for a six-furlong sprint entry, Rushaway is a versatile performer. He was caught in :37 for a breezing three furlongs Thursday .as he prepared for an early start at Aurora. SPRINT CHAMPION. While B. P. Woodsons Leading Article, sprint champion at Fair Grounds and Oak-lawn Park, may be the choice for the seasons first handicap, though numerous other capable ones are on hand right now, Black River, one of the favorites, for the race a year ago, is back again and showed a flash of speed this week when he was sent a half in :49. Faust went well over the same -distance in :49, accompanied by Beaver Lake. Martin Barton, formerly one of the speediest sprinters in training, galloped a handy half in :50. A thoroughbred which many expect to develop into a consistent winner during the meeting is Xavier, formerly in the C. V. Whitney stable. At the Whitney dispersal sale, this son of Whichone Xanthina went to the Wesley Sears farm and will carry their colors at Aurora. Xavier worked a half in :53 just breezing recently. With the track in excellent condition, .the Inaugural field is expected to be a large one for the candidates have had plenty of time to get in shape for their opening engagements.
