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John D. Schapiro Tours Tracks in South America President of Laurel Returning With Valuable Race Course Data DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 13. — John D. Schapiro, president of Laurel race-course in Maryland, is expected back at his Baltimore office this .week-end after a three weeks trip to South America where he inspected important racing plants in Argentina and Brazil. Schapiro divided his time between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires and at both cities, he inspected race tracks and conferred with racing officials, hot wily on construction details but on the methods of operation used there. While war-time building restrictions, at this time preclude the possibility of an extensive building program at Laurel, nonetheless, Schapiro is expected to have considerable valuable data- to place before the Laurel directors at their next meeting. Upon his return, Schapiro expects to swing into action in making plans for the fall meeting at the course halfway between Baltimore and Washington. Laurel will operate for 14 days from October 10 through October 25. General manager George H. Martin has a crew working on the former steeplechase course at Laurel, transforming it into a turf course over which it is expected that a number of events will be run this autumn and there is a possibility that one grass stakes may be added to the list of feature attractions. Other changes and improvements are planned as materials are available. Highlight of the fall meeting will be running of the 5,000 Selima Stakes, mile and a sixteenth, for two-year-old fillies and the final closing of this years Selima is scheduled for Friday, June 15, at midnight.
