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] ♦ ■ Racing Returns to New England With Inaugural at Narragansett | I , , ! . J i l I [ . J . [ m a " . * Todays Program Is First of 4 • Four Dedicated to Charity; Seven Routers in Feature PAWTUCKET, R. I., April 11.— Racing will return to the New England sector tomorrow when the Narragansett Racing Association will stage the inaugural program of a 28-day spring meeting. Never in the local tracks history has the outlook been so bright for a successful season, and president James A. Dooley and his associates at the Rhode Island plant are making preparations to receive a banner crowd on the opening day. The initial four days profit of the impending season are to be turned over to War Relief charities and the Wednesday and Thursday cards will be run off for local organizations. The Friday and Saturday sport will honor the American Red Cross, and the net proceeds for those days are to be diverted to the coffers of that worthy organization. During the 1943 Narragansett season. Narragansett raised 55,170.53 and the local racing association has hopes of surpassing that figure this year. Racing secretary-handicapper Mathias "Ty" Shea has arranged an excellent pro-, gram for the first day of the meeting, the ,500 Inaugural Purse, a one mile and a sixteenth test for four-year-olds and up-, ward, serving. as the feature attraction. A small but rather select field of seven routers will vie for major honors in the Inaugural, and the race shapes up as a well balanced event. Boot and Spur May Rule Choice W. I. Lunts Boot and Spur, who raced j in steady fashion at the recent Oaklawn Park meeting, is expected to answer the bugle as favorite for the Inaugural Purse. ; Claude Feltner, youthful trainer of the Lunt contingent, reported that his charge is in excellent condition and that apprentice Harry Pratt, who has had a brief rest, will be in the saddle, insuring Boot and Spur good handling. H. H. Haags Ball Player, who has been t rather slow to reach the peak of his form j during the late winter and spring racing T seasons, will go to the post top weight I under 116 pounds. The Haag representative is remembered for his American rec-ord-equaling performance at the Detroit i Fair Grounds in 1942, when he ran a mile , and 70 yards in 1:4035. Ball Player is still j a top performer over the longer distances . and in his last start at Hot Springs showed j flashes of his old speed. Rounding out the field for the top at-- traction are such performers as Mrs. W. i Renards Mixer, William Gullatts First Draft, Mrs. W. R. Flemings Loveday, Miss Joan Beatties White Hope and J. Piarullis Legation. The members of this latter group have raced at Narragansett and they undoubtedly I will make the Inaugural a tight contest for their better-regarded rivals. The first race on the program has been named in honor of the late Robert S. Shelley, , who served as racing secretary and , handicapper at the local oval for several years previous to his demise. The Shelley will bring together a capacity field of the f better sprinters at six furlongs and it | should provide an interesting curtain raiser. , Post time for the opener will be at 2:30 p. m. and the Daily Double, as usual, is to operate on the first and second" events.
