view raw text
NEW CUSHION AT ARLINGTON Track Superintendent Avows Course Is Fastest in Ten Years. Track Records in Danger at Coming Meeting Beginning June 26 — Turf Course Also in Shape. ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, 111., June 16.— Arlington Park, already holder of two world records for speed, will point for new marks during its thirty-day meeting which climaxes the Illinois racing season from its opening here on June 26. More than 4,000 cubic yards of special sand top dressing has been mixed into the rich sandy loam of the famous mile and an eighth main track. "It is faster now than in the past ten years," declared track superintendent Harold Lamb, "and its springy cushion has been improved considerably. Itll drain much faster, too." It was in June of 1932 that the great Whitney champion, Equipoise, came out of the East to blaze a mile in 1:34%, a mark that still" stands as a world record despite the assaults of speed stars, champions, and near-champions for the past seven years. . Three years ago the fast Clang whirled over seven furlongs in 1:22 flat to establish another worlds record. Besides these two world records the Arlington track record list is studded with other brilliant time marks that have established the north-side course as one of the turfs great ranging grounds of speed stars. VELVETY RIBBON. On the mile turf course, one of the two strips in the United States where flat racing on the grass is conducted, work throughout the off-season has produced a velvety ribbon of bright green turf for the tri-weekly feature run on that course. The mile training track west of the main oval also has been | re-surfaced. With more than 150 horses already on the j grounds, horses are being worked briskly I over the training strip and the main track | each morning. Next week the training tem-t po will step up in preparation for the opening, week from this coming Monday. j Horsemen are enthusiastic over the condition of the three racing strips. Sherriil j Ward, able young trainer of a large Ken- j , tucky public stable, who is prepping his j | horses at the north-side course, said this I .morning: "Ive been racing at Arlington for many years and Ive never seen the footing as fast or as safe for horses." With such speed stars as Johnstown, Bull Lea and Challedon pointing for the Arling-| ton speed records are in danger at the meeting opening June 26.