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. : : ; ; I I i I j ! i j i I j l . a SPRINT EVENT MONDAY Lincoln Fields Holiday Card Attractive to Race Fans. Crete Opening Follows Closing of Aurora Saturday — Predict an Attendance of 30,000. CRETE, 111., May 26— The hold that racing has on the Chicago public is expected to be demonstrated in convincing manner over the coming Memorial Day .week-end. The Fox Valley Jockey Club closes its season Saturday with the seventh running of the 2,000 Illinois Derby, and on Monday Col. Matt Winn, of Kentucky Derby fame, opens his Lincoln Fields track. Both days are marked by brilliant race programs. The Illinois Derby is the second richest three-year-old stake on the 1938 Illinois calendar. The Crete Handicap, at the beautiful south side course, is expected to bring out a star field of the fleetest sprinters in training. A ,000 stake, as are the four other Lincoln Fields specials, the Crete will be having its eleventh renewal. Out at Aurora officials are preparing for a crowd in excess of 20,000, while no Memo- rial Day program in Chicago has as yet fallen below a 30,000 crowd. Thus more than 50,000 people will be watching the thoroughbreds during the two afternoons. MANY OUT OF TOWN VISITORS. This particular holiday period has always found Chicago a big attraction for out-of-town visitors. They come here not only to look over the citys civic attractions, but for the numerous sporting events as well, par-: ticularly horse racing and baseball. Virtually all the railroads run specials at this time, and the managements of both tracks have expended unusual efforts toward induc-I ing these visitors to come to their courses. The weather man holds the trump card as to whether or not this week-end of racing will set a new high for Chicago. The diversified programs presented at the two ovals feature both the route-running three-year- olds in the Derby, at a mile and one-eighth, and the older sprinters which will go to the post in the Crete at Lincoln Fields. The Crete will bring Mucho Gusto. Marica Preeminent, Leading Article, Crossbow II and others which have a liking for the al breviated three-quarter mile distance. Chicago will have more than its share of the nations supply of horse flesh, for over 900 horses will be stabled at Crete for the meeting and some 800 are at Aurora winding up the four-week program. Lincoln Fields1 will be in action with the best stables in the land for four weeks, through June 25. During that period there will be ,000 stakes each Saturday, making a total of five in all Purse distribution is 17 per cent over that of a year ago. creating an atmosphere of optimism for the major Chicago racing season. •—
