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Von Stade Reports Work At Spa Near Completion More Than 2,000 Horses Will Be In Stable Area Following Sales NEW YORK, N. Y., June 28. F. S. von Stade, president of the Saratoga Association, returned to New York yesterday from a two-day inspection trip to Saratoga where he checked on the final preparations for the opening there on August 5 of the first racing at the historic Spa since 1942. He reported work well along toward completion under the supervision of Mrs. Anne M. Clare, only woman track superintendent in the United States, and a demand for stall space which makes it possible Saratoga will have the biggest thoroughbred population of any racing center in the country during the four weeks of the meeting there. To date, applications for a bit more than 1 1,000 stalls have been received by the association, without counting the Greentree, Pitzsimmons, Vanderbilt, Jeffords, C. V. Whitney, Widener or Brookmeade groups which are assured at the meeting. Saratoga, with 1,890 stalls, has room for 145 more than Belmont in the latters present stage and, when the 250 yearlings scheduled for the Fasig-Tipton sales which are to be held between August 11 and August 17 have moved out, the stable area will total more than 2,000. Von Stade reported the stands repaired and repainted after their wartime occupancy by Army storage units and the track itself is nearly ready for the workouts of the early comers, who are expected within the next three weeks at the Spa. The steeplechase course, which had been kept cut during the war years, is in shape and the fences are being rebuilt. A big colony of horses means a big colony of handlers and not the least interesting part of von Stades tour took him through , the recreation center that has long been a feature of Saratogas backstage life. The recreation building in the backstretch with its billiard rooms, restaurant and cafeteria is ready for use and the swimming pool has already been opened for the convenience of those working on the track. Two new track kitchens have been added to the old ones, which include Julias. The Saratoga president also journeyed to Ballston Spa for an inspection of the new airport there. This was at the request of New York charter airplane groups who are planning special service to the Spa during the meeting. Negotiations are also going forward with the railroad for a resumption of the Saratoga Specials out of the Grand Central Station. During his stay in Saratoga, von Stade received visits from committees of businessmen who assured him of the citys earnest efforts to prevent any profiteering at the expense of race visitors. The licensed taxi- men have agreed on a rate of 50 cents per person from the towns center to the track and requested any overcharge be reported to police; hotels have posted rates which are those in force during the 12 months of the year, starting with and a day in the leading ones, and a Chamber of Commerce committee has listed rooming accommodations in Saratoga and nearby villages at various price ranges.
