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f 1 P v c t t t c I 1 h S Modern Track Equipment Will Be Used at Omaha Employ Puett Gate as Well as Thomas Photo-Finish Camera OMAHA, Neb., May 20. When Ak-Sar-Bens 1942 meeting gets under way next Tuesday for an exciting 30 -day program extending through Saturday, July 4, fans will find the classiest field of entries that ever galloped around the Ak-Sar-Ben oval, plus every precaution that modern track equipment can provide in their interest, chairman W. H. Schellberg stated. These, he stated, range from the latest type of Puett electric starting gate to cut down time at the post, to the Thomas photo-finish camera that removes all doubt as to winners and the Pacific pari-mutuel totalizer that safeguards fans from duplicate tickets and speeds up calculations on winners. Officials, too, said Schellberg, from R. A. "Dick" Leigh, secretary and presiding steward, right on down the line, have again been selected for their integrity as well as ability and experience in racing. Many have long been associated with Ak-Sar-Ben. After seeing it operate, Jim Ronin, track, superintendent, is enthusiastic over the new Puett starting gate. Built especially for use at Omaha and New Orleans, it is distinguished chiefly from gates previously used here by its operating principle, Ronin says. Most gates, he explains, use electricity only to open the doors. The Puett gate holds doors shut by magnetism. When the flow of "juice" that maintains this magnetism, is broken, the doors swing wide and theyre off. Noel Chilcutt, who is returning for hi fourth year as official starter at Ak-Sar-Ben, is expected in town this week and will make the new gate available foi schooling young horses.
