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JUDGES STAND bycharles hatton DETROIT, Mich., June 5. — One hears many theories concerning the cause of the late closing of entries here, which could have the effect of depriving the club of some valuable publicity. Of course, the entries at any track are its show window, so to speak. It is not that racing secretary Charles McLennans book doesnt fife the horses, nor again that there arent enough fit horses at the Motor City tracks. There are an estimated 980 performers here. A good many of the two-year-olds were coughing as the season opened, but this mysterious virus is reported to have run its course. It is conjectured that some of the horsemen are waiting in anticipation of an increase in purses. But we cant think that failure to support the programs places them in a very tenable position to request an increase, though there is in racing a small element of radicals that has always worked on the theory that is the only effective approach. The season here runs 112 days and, on the surface, it is the old story of a great clamor for stalls, immediately followed by a great deal of indifference about running early in the meeting. In these circumstances a number of the more experienced horsemen have wisely entered and have won purses while the others wait, and before the competition makes it more difficult. They already have a balance in the office. There is another consideration.- We know racing secretaries who keep a record of the number of stalls allocated each horseman and the number, of horses he runs at the meeting, and those who occupy stalls without entering are likely to be a little de trop at the next session of the stall committee. So far as Detroit is concerned, the early days of the meet clearly showed that large fields arent a prerequisite of large handles, and despite the lackadaisical attitude and the bus strike downtown the play is up. AAA This may interest bloodstock breeders. Particularly those having seasons to Nasrullah, Noor and Rustom Sirdar, who are introducing the Nearco male line in this country. Coleman- Kelly kindly has supplied us with the Many Explanations of Late MRA Entries Epsom Derby Winner From Nearco Line Michigan Changes Tote Ticket Rules Waterford Park Patronage Encouraging extended pedigree of Arctic Star, sire of the Epsom Derby winner, Arctic Prince, appropriately embroidered in shamrocks and hurrahs for the Irish. Arctic Star turns out to be a son of Nearco. There is a footnote to the effect he didnt race, went to the stud in 1946 and now serves at the Brownstown Stud, Curragh, County Kildare. He is owned by Joseph McGrath, from whom A. B. Hancock, Jr., acquired Nasrullah for an American syndicate, much ,to English breeders consternation. In late years Nearco has sired the Ephom Derby winners Dante and Nimbus, not to mention Nasrullah, Noor and Sayajirao, who were third in the race, and now his grandson, Arctic Prince. He also sired two winners of the Epsom Oaks. It is a line from which one may expect classic horses. AAA Many tracks with late first posts or which are 20 or 30 miles from the city, have arranged to sell patrons who wish to leave early mutuel tickets on the last two races. A notice is printed on Detroit programs that this is prohibited. It is verboten by the state, for reasons which escape us, though it is understood that many tracks find that, like the daily double, the volume of such play does not warrant the additional overhead. The program also cautions that payment of a ticket "Shall be made only on surrender of a ticket or a substantial portion thereof," This is in accordance with a recent change in the auditing rules of the mutuel operators at Michigan tracks, as announced by auditor general John Martin, Jr. Previously winning tickets that were lost had been paid on affidavit. The new regulation is in the interest of protecting the public from irregular or fraudulent activities and is designed to insure the state of its proper tax revenue. The rules here also differ from those in some other states in another particular. Minors under 16 years of age are not permitted on the grounds. Personally this corner feels that it is a mistake to bar children accompanied by their parents, and they are admitted to Keeneland, Delaware and Churchill Downs. We should think that excluding them might be construed as an implication that racing is somehow less wholesome and respectable than other sports. Also that many youngsters early become baseball or football rather than racing fans because such rules give them no opportunity of becoming acquainted with the turf sport. AAA Waterford Park began with an estimated crowd of more than 20,000, then reported 24,190 on Memorial Day, which helped to compensate for light attendance on weekdays and is most encouraging to Al Boyle. It indicates that this beautiful new course, within 40 miles of Pittsburgh and Youngstown, has all the potentialities he foresaw when construction began several years ago. Car-lyle Johnson of the Waterford staff is sanguine "It only remains to educate the public to the sport." Many in the area never before saw a thoroughbred, and of course some of the opening and holiday crowds attended out of sheer curiosity. A good many of the horses in action at this meet race also in Maryland and at Charles Town and Randall. Fred Burton has surrounded the featured handicaps with some allowance events and two-year-old dashes, as well as assorted claimers. AAA Turf ana: Arlington Park Jockey Club will celebrate its Silver Jubilee this summer, as the ensuing meet marks its 25th year of operation. The club plans a Silver Jubilee Party to celebrate the occasion on the eve of the opener. . . .The E. E. Dale Shaffers tote, "Candy" and "Tiger," are horse owners barred from Detroit by the Michigan rule against admitting minors. . .Jockey S. Palumbo is being glamorous these afternoons at Waterford Park, where he is gaining something of a following as a result of his saddle work. . .Of 100 patrons interviewed in the MRA stand, 99 approved the new post time with the shorter intervals between races. The conscientious objector, who likes a half-hour between his races, was immediately overruled by two friends.
