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i 1 j j j i j | j : : ■ : . • i s • ! , ; . SUFFOLK MEETING SUCCESSFUL High Mutuel Handle for First Week Despite Weather Conditions. Quality of Racing Higher Than During Previous Sessions — Rich Stakes on List of Attractions. BOSTON, Mass., May 20.— Suffolk Downs ended the first week of its sixty-day session on Saturday, with the average daily handle standing right around 60,000 and the total betting more than ,200,000. Suffolk, which opened earlier last season, had an average of 94,731 for the first six days, with total betting of ,368,389. Bitterly cold weather prevailed for the first four days of the meeting this season and this naturally cut the crowds and handle considerably, although the weather was none too pleasant during the early part of the 1938 season. The quality of racing at the Downs this season will be higher than ever before if racing secretary Charles McLennan adheres to the book he has written. Already a ,000 and a ,500 stake have been decided. These were the Plymouth Rock Handicap on opening day and the Governors Handicap on Saturday. The coming week will be featured by the Commonwealth, a ,000 event for three-year-olds at six furlongs. This feature, which comes on Saturday, will furnish the first important test for the 5,000 Yankee Handicap, July 4, a race that ranks second in importance only to the 0,000 Massachusetts on the- Suffolk roster. EXPECT TEN IN STAKE. The Commonwealth closed May 1 with twenty-seven nominations. At least ten of the nominees are believed to be pointing for the week-end event. Greentree, one hears, may return Roll and Toss to competition in the race. This fellow, highly regarded, went j wrong in Florida and has been given a rest, i Bill Gallagher is expected to send forth his ! good American Flag colt. Forty Eight. If • Roll and Toss is unable to make the issue, j Greentree will probably depend upon Day Off. I Hal Price Headley, who has a formidable j band on the grounds, has named Atatime. j Mrs. Emil Denemark will rely upon Savitar. M. J. Whites Peter Argo earned a crack at the prize when he won here on Friday. Pharaboy, Farrago, Ferdinand and Kenty Miss are others that may accept the issue. Half of the likely starters are Yankee eli-gibles. These are Savitar, Forty Eight, One 1 by One, Atatime and Farrago. Yankee hopes will be tested at a longer distance on June 3 in the mile Constitution Handicap, which carries ,500 in added value. This will be the final qualifying race for the rich stake that is limited to three-year-olds, but nominees will have many other opportunities in handicaps in which they face older horses and in overnight races. The principal changes in the official staff at Suffolk Downs this year were the appointment I of McLennan as secretary and I Frank Bryan as state steward. Both men ! J have already made their presence felt. Mc-Lennans influence is seen in the races calling I for a higher caliber of horses than have previously raced in New England. Bryans influence is seen in the large number of , jockeys and trainers who have been refused licenses. PLENTY OF YOUNGSTERS. Suffolk appears to be strong in two-year- old material and the numerous events carded for the youngsters have filled much better than was generally anticipated. Elmer True-man has a strong string of juveniles here for Willis Sharpc Kilmer, and Mrs. Trueman has a promising colt in her own right. This is Wood Chopper, which won. his first outing impressively here the other day. Bright View, which romped away from all rivals and sped four and a half furlongs in :53% to win Friday, is the most likely young filly to show her wares to date, Virtually every stall on the grounds will be filled by the end of this week, it is believed, for horses are still arriving daily. Conflict with Delaware will hurt Suffolk to some ex-. tent. That track has already drawn the string of "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons, which was originally intended for this point. However, there is every indication that Suffolk will gain momentum as the meeting progresses and that many of the hest horses in the land will be racing here by the middle of June.
