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OPTIMISTIC AT AURORA Increased Amount of Interest in Meeting Being Shown. New "Tote" and Other Conveniences for Fans Added This Year Illinois Inaugural Monday. AURORA, 111., April 29. An air of optimism pervades the snug little Fox Valley Jockey Club racing plant at Aurora. The management manifests this feeling as fans are showing and expressing an encouraging degree of interest in proceedings for the opening of the west suburban meeting Monday, which blows the lid off the 1938 Illinois turf season. This is always a big occasion for horse players from the Fox River Valley, and the opening salvo of turf events is also keenly eyed by the five other Chicago tracks. The Aurora meeting generally acts as a thermometer to register the "fever" of interest and operators of the other plants usually know what to expect, in line of business, when they throw open their gates for the various meetings. 40,000 IN PRIZES. The optimism of Aurora is reflected in the purse distribution of 40,000 this year; the installation of a new electric totalizator and an expensive outlay of physical improvements. The latter in the way of a half mile of smooth paving on the road leading from the concrete highway to the grounds and Continued on twenty-eighth page. OPTIMISTICAT AURORA Continued from first page. the expansion of parking facilities through the lease of the adjacent flying field. The last mentioned is expected to facilitate parking for an additional 5,000 cars. The Kane County meeting this year runs for twenty-four days, instead of the usual three-week schedule, and again will feature the 2,000 added Illinois Derby on the final day, May 28. The main attraction for opening day will be the ,500 Fox Valley Inaugural Handicap, a six furlongs event. A few of the horses expected to line up before starter Johnny Morrissey in the Bahr gate in that event are: Leading Article, Bien Fait, Faust, Chance Ray, Allanwood, Trans-mutable, Miss Dolphin and a few others. NEW "TOTE" While the "tote" board is standard equipment for most Illinois fans, this marks its initial appearance at Aurora. There are many of the "Valley" patrons who never attend any other track, hence they are eager to get a glimpse at the board and witness its efficiency and speed. An odds board has been installed under the grandstand, synchronized with the totalizator so that bettors can, at a glance, tell the odds on their choices without the inconvenience of having to dash back to a point of vantage to see the big infield board. The "tote" also means that betting will be speeded up to such an extent that possibly the last race each day will have been run off from twenty to thirty minutes ahead of last years time. Another feature, for the convenience of fans, is a screen under the stands for the projection of photo finishes. There are about 800 horses on the grounds. Racing secretary Dick Leigh, in a check-up, counted that many horses noses, Which means big fields for the daily programs. These always make for big "Doubles" and "Quinellas," and Aurora has a reputation for "banking house" payoffs for this type of wager.
