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TROPICAL PARK SUCCESSFUL Spring Meeting Surpasses Most Sanguine Expectations of Officials. Mutuel Play Above 00,000 Over Figures of Previous Year Extra Day of Racing for the "Getaway" on Monday. MIAMI, Fla., April 8. As Tropical Park, completed the final day of its regularly scheduled thirty-day spring session, betting was running right around 00,000 above that for the corresponding period of 1938. The final days riding brought the grand total to an amount that was in the vicinity of ,600,-000, as compared to ,765,063 for last year. The average during the spring season of 1938 was 58,836, while that of 1939 is running some 0,000 a day higher. Following the highly successful inaugural of the sport at Tropical, Gables Racing Association officials predicted that the meeting would run a million above the spring session of last year. They were not far wrong in their reckoning, and that figure would doubtless have been reached had the tourist season held up just a few days longer. But the tourist season collapsed all at once, much in the manner of the one-horse shay. This nearly always happens in Florida and the date of the tourist exodus is almost unpredictable. One day trains are running north empty; the next day the railroad companies cannot put on enough sections to accommodate those who wish to leave. SEASON MUCH LONGER. However, the season held up much longer than usual this year, as is only natural, since it began much later. Tropical profited accordingly, and Saturday marked the end of one of the most successful meetings in the history of the Coral Gables course from a financial standpoint, following an early winter session at which play and crowds were very light. The success of the season just ended more than wipes out any deficit that may have been suffered at the first meeting this year. There will be one extra day of sport and then there will be no more racing until next December in the Florida sector. The extra day will come on Monday, proceeds to be donated to the Florida exhibition at the New York Worlds Fair. Although most of the visitors will have shipped out, Floridians, who are long on local pride, should turn out in large numbers. All complimentary badges will be honored on the added day. There is no outstanding, feature on Mondays card, but racing secretary Bob Shelley has managed to fill the eight events well and several interesting contests are promised. The mile and seventy yards E. J. Sparks Purse, which has drawn such horses as Worpoise, Josh, Free Child, Toni and Bubblesome, is the best attraction on the program. Hialeah and Tropical are co-op-1 erating in defraying the expense of purses, all of which will be 00. OFFICIALS DONATE SALARIES. Most employes will be paid regular wages on the added day, but the higher salaried officials and executives of the track will donate their days pay to the fund. One of the highlights of the season here has been the race track itself, which has had a new dressing of top soil. During the early days it was deep and a bit treacherous on the rail. That part of the track was flattened down later by the pounding hoofs of horses and by constant work. The course is much faster and much safer than it was at the start and it is one of the fastest-drying tracks in the land. That was proven on both Friday and Saturday. On those days torrential rains came down in the morning, but the newly top-soiled track drank up the water as if it was made of blotting paper and was in good condition on both afternoons. The climax of the meeting came with the running of the 0,000 Tropical Handicap Saturday.
