Detroit Racing Near: Thirty-Seven Days Meeting Begins on next Saturday.; Ten Stakes, Headed by Frontier Handicap, Offered--Inaugural Handicap Opening Feature., Daily Racing Form, 1938-05-23

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DETROIT RACING NEAR Thirty-Seven Days Meeting Begins on Next Saturday. Ten Stakes, Headed by Front er Handicap, Offered — Inaugural Handicap Opening Feature. DETROIT, Mich., May 21.— Detroit opens i its fifth spring season since the sport was | revived in the Wolverine State, on next Saturday. During the thirty-seven days of racing, which closes Saturday, July 9, ten stakes will be renewed, and chief of these is the Frontier Handicap, which is down for decision on Saturday, June 25. Probably no fixture to have had its inception since the opening of the century has as many names of champions on its list of winners as the Frontier, and it is the only stakes to be run under the British and American flags. It was revived at Detroit last year. Mel Emerichs Infantry journeyed over from Chicago to defeat a crack field, which had among its starters War Minstrel, which finished second, Azucar, winner of the first Santa Anita Handicap, Whopper, which started into the mile and three-sixteenths journey with the Col. Alger Memorial and Wolverine Handicaps over the Motor City track to his credit. AZUCARS "SWAN SONG." Whopper came to Detroit fresh from a wonderful spring campaign and he established himself favorite for the historic fixture. Naturally he was called upon to pack the top impost and, with a fast track prevailing, he was unable to cope with the lightly weighted Infantry, War Minstrel and Azucar. It was the "swan song" for Azucar, and he is now taking it easy at the farm of Frederick Alger, his owner. In later years, among the winners of the Frontier were Meridian, which won the 1910 Continued on thirty-fourth page J I I DETROIT RACING NEAR Continued from first page. Kentucky Derby; Old Rosebud, successful in the world-famed classic in 1914; Star Charter, Tipacanoe, King Nadi, Boniface, Best Pal, Gen. Thatcher, Gaffsman and others. However, many of the greatest handicap stars of their day were unsuccessful when pitted against Frontier fields, and among those to be satisfied with minor awards were Hand Brigade, Froglegs, Plate Glass, Rancher, King Gorin, Hodge, The Porter, the mighty Exterminator, Irish Kiss, Spot Cash, Joy Smoke, and others. Topping the opening days program will be the Inaugural Handicap, a dash over six furlongs, and with such fashionable stables as Fred M. Alger, Bomar Stable, J. B. Res-pess, Oddesa Farms, H. M. Giddings, H. R. Bain, Valley Grey Farm, I J. Collins, and many more to draw from, this sprint should provide one of the most thrilling contests of the meeting. SECOND DAY FEATURE. On the second day, the Col. Alger Memorial Handicap will be renewed, and in this one mile and one-sixteenth journey, Main Man, for which J. B. Respess has refused an offer of 0,000, will be under colors for the first time since he won the historic Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. During the four-year history of the race the Col. Alger has listed as its winners. Projectile, Stand Pat, Polar Flight and Whopper. The other stakes to be renewed during the six weeks of racing are the Belle Isle Handicap, the St. Clair Stakes, the Pont-[ chartrain Stakes, the Windsor Handicap, the Moslem Temple Stakes, the Liberty Handicap, and the Wolverine Handicap. During the past week nearly 300 horses were unloaded at the Fair Grounds course, which has undergone so many improvements that the fans will hardly know the ultramodern plant. An electrical approximate odds board has been erected where the outdoor paddock stood, and the stewards stand has been removed to the inside of the track. It also will house the placing judges, who will be aided by the Powers electro-camera. The inside paddock, which was used in inclement weather, has been rebuilt. With these changes, president C. E. Lehr believes that there will be little time lost between races, and although post time for the first event will remain at 2:30 oclock, he expects to have the program completed in three hours. The "Daily Double" again will be offered on the first and second races, and all starts will be made from the Bahr gate.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1930s/drf1938052301/drf1938052301_1_6
Local Identifier: drf1938052301_1_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800