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FA1RM0UNT PARK OPENS 1 ] Illinois Racing Season for 1939 to Be Ushered In Today. Nine Classy Sprinters Make Up Field for Inaugural Handicap — No Racing on Mondays. COLLINSVILLE, 111., May 5.— Fairmount Parks second consecutive spring meeting will usher in the 1939 Illinois racing season Saturday, May 6. The Collinsvillc.lll. course, which is presenting its tenth session of racing under the present management, will offer a twenty-seven-day meeting, terminating on Saturday, June 10. There will be no racing on Mondays with the exception of May 29, the Monday preceding Decoration Day. , General manager D. C. Burnett, Xi as spokesman- for the Fairmount Park Jockey Club, expressed high enthusiasm for the success of the current meeting. The management further stated that with a continuation of the present weather conditions and the attraction of the high grade of thoroughbred racing which has prevailed during past meetings here, the present season of racing will prove more successful than last years spring meeting. TO RUN 3EIGHT RACES. Racing secretary Richard A. Leigh has prepared a stellar card of eight races for the opening day program. The feature is the Inaugural Handicap, which is for three-year-olds | and older, is to be decided over the six j j furlongs sprint distance for a purse of ,200, in which nine sprinters will vie for honors, j j The remaining seven events to be offered . j j are made up of claiming races and allowance ; affairs in which spirited duels should ensue. , Interest in the Inaugural Handicap should ; j | prove high because of the appearance of a . few newcomers to this sector. Chance Ray, , I | the C. E. Davison representative, has been i allotted top-weight of 112 pounds in the Inaugural. . Chance Ray was winner of ten l races during the 1938 racing season and I earned close to 7,000. The bulk of the publics support and most ; of the contention to be offered in the fea- . ; ture event should come from Chance Ray r and "Butsey" Hernandez* Prince Argo, also i a winner of ten races in 1938. The contest : does not, however, narrow down to Chance Ray and Prince Argo. Others in the event, namely, Fast Move, Rich Cream, Professor : Paul and Roidef, winner of a stakes event | during the past New Orleans racing season, are capable of capturing the event. OFFER PATRONS CONTEST. Cliff Abbo, director of publicity and assistant to the management, stated that Fair-mount Park will again offer the patrons* handicapping contest. A daily award of 00 will be offered during the week-days and 00 on Saturdays. The contest winner will be decided on the basis of points received during the first seven races. In the event of ties, patrons must select their first, second and third choices in the eighth. W,hitfield Brooks, mutuel manager has everything in readiness to handle the opening days attendance. A select crew is on hand to do the publics bidding at the mutuel machines. With the weather forecast for tomorrows opening indicated as being clear and warm, starter Roy Dickerson expects to get the fields away at instant notice. Dickerson, a nationally known starter, dispatches the fields at Arlington Park, Chicago.
