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i FLORIDA SHIPMENT TO OMAHA Horses of J. Fox and Benny Bateman Get in for Coming Meeting. Racing Secretary Ben Holmes Hopes to Be Able to Increase Purses Over Values of Last Year. OMAHA, Neb., May 8.— The first shipment of horses ever to come* to Ak-Sar-Ben field directly from the Florida race tracks arrived in Omaha last week to augment the rapidly increasing equine colony now preparing for the race meeting, which opens Saturday, May 27, and continues through July 4. It consisted of five horses owned by J. Fox, and several which were the property of Benny Bateman. Among Batemans horses was the hard-hitting plater, Package, which won two races and was second once out of five starts at last years Ak-Sar-Bens meeting. All of Fox" horses are in the winners column and, after the rest they will enjoy here, they are expected to prove real competition in the Omaha races. Two popular stables which scored many victories at Omaha two years ago are returning to Ak-Sar-Ben this year. One is the W. A. Mikel stable, owned by the well-known family of breeders and trainers from Car-lock, 111. The other, is the stable of Cox and Ketcham, which will be brought here to race under the personal supervision of Mark T. Cox HI., the wealthy young oilman and rancher of Cheyenne, Wyoming. NUMBERS FIFTEEN HEAD. The good handicap horse, San Luis Rey, heads the Cox shipment, which numbers fifteen head and includes Trip On, another handicap star which won three of its five starts last year. That old favorite of Omaha racing fans, Chinese Empress, which was first twice; second twice and third once, in five starts at Ak-Sar-Ben two years ago, heads the list of fifteen which the Mikels are bringing to Omaha. They will ship here immediately after the .conclusion of the Beulah Park meeting at Columbus, Ohio, on May 20. Many of Mikels horses are by their own good sire, Braedalbane, and the word "Bane" appears frequently in their names. Racing secretary and presiding steward Ben Holmes is now in Omaha checking over arrangements for the start of the meeting three weeks hence. He predicts the finest racing in Omahas history and is hopeful that Ak-Sar-Ben will be able this year to repeat its action of last season, when purses were increased the last week of the meeting.
