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APPLICATIONS SWAMP LEIGH Abandonment of the Aurora Meeting Results in Fairmount Overflow, More and Better Horses Available for This Seasons Racing at Collinsville Track Resurfaced. COLLINSVILLE, 111., April .11. Pleased, though perplexed, at the numerous stables seeking stall room for the coming spring meeting, racing secretary Dick Leigh reached the Fairmount Park track yesterday after noon and immediately opened his offices op- posite the paddock. The twenty-seven day i campaign starts May 6. "More horses and better horses than ever before in the last ten years appears to be an apt slogan here this spring," said the veteran official. "Before I left New Orleans, I was swamped with requests from horsemen wishing to race at Fairmount Park, and after going to Hot Springs, I found equal interest among turfmen at that point. I have also been advised that many stables are planning to ship here from, Kentucky, so if I have any worries about horses it is just where to place the many whose owners want to race here." Supporting the recent statement of general manager D. C. Burnett that Auroras decision not to open this spring has thrown many good stables Fairmounts way, Leigh predicted that local racegoers will see many establishments which heretofore passed up the local track. BLUE RIDGE STABLE. "I consider the Blue Ridge Stable one of the best of the new ones that will campaign, here," said Leigh. "Trainer Bert Bagley has such brilliant ones as Wise Barrister and Elooto, in addition to Plea, Sympathizer and Lillian Roth in his string of fifteen, and several of these will be shipped here in the next few days to be joined later by the remainder which will first take in the Keene-land meeting." Sitting at his desk, Leigh looked over many of the applications which were already on file. Norman "Butsey" Hernandez, leading owner and trainer of last falls local campaign, and champion also of the recent New Orleans campaign, will return with twenty head, including Prince Argo, Roidef and Bad Roll; Ed Shipp will return a dozen, including Norman Sloat and Runmilton; Harold Nellor will send ten to campaign here for the first time, headed by the juvenile star Plaud-away; the local Neal brothers will race ten, also, including the popular Maiden Dream, Bedight and Baste; Guy Schultz will have fourteen, including Merry Freda, Polite Ford, Prince Pad and others; Miss Doris Henderson will ship a dozen, headed by Black Rhapsody and Doris B.; Ray Holloway will send five, including the former local winners Nigrette and Goshen, while W. C. Merrick will ship ten, including Golden Era, Rickey Roo and Grand Jester. Merrick, like the Blue Ridge Stable and Nellor, will be a newcomer in this section, and in this respect Leigh found satisfaction that Clarence Davison and L. W. Kidd will also send their strings here. EN ROUTE TO FAIRMOUNT. Leigh was informed yesterday that many stables are already en route to the local course and a steady stream should commence Wednesday or Thursday, lasting until the opening. General manager Burnett is expected back at the track some time today, following his trip to Chicago to straighten out dates for the meeting, and on his return will speed preparations for the meeting. The opening is only a matter of a little over three weeks and there is much work to be done. This does not apply, however, to the track itself. Outside of landscaping effects, which are now being molded, and sundry sweeping and cleaning up, the track could open in a few days. The oval is in wonderful condition, having been resoiled during the winter and awaits the training grind. An improvement which will please local fans this season is the removal from the infield of the many trees. Transplanted around the clubhouse area, the group, thirty-six in number, often obscured the vision of the running of a race to fans on ground level. Flower beds, shrubbery and plants will replace the trees in the infield.
