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JUDGES STAND and charles hatton DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 16. — Devotees of the colorful steeplechase phase of the sport will join the regulars here at Delaware Park this Monday, when the club begins its series of stakes through the field with a renewal of the Tom» Roby. This 0,000 test over two miles is to be followed on June 26 by the ,000 Spring Maiden, on June 27 by the 0,000 Georgetown Handicap and on July 3 by the 0,000 Indian River, which is at two and a half miles and is one of the most searching of contemporary American chases. It is will known that steeplechases arent particularly good betting races, but the policy here is refreshingly free of commercialism, and the club is among the most active in its efforts to preserve this type of racing. For that matter, its records show that the hedge events tend, to increase business at the turnstiles. As you may know, the Tom Roby is a tribute to the courageous steeplechase jockey who was badly injured in a spill at Belmont Park in 1942 and still -is confined to the Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica, L. I. The race is filmed and shown , him each year. Richest of the weeks stakes features here is next Saturdays renewal of the 5,000 Kent Stakes for three-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth. The race formerly suffered from a conflict with the Belmont Stakes. It seems assured a representative field this season, what with such as Repetoire, Alerted, Hall of Fame, Knowitall, Mully S., Eternal Son and Yildiz among the prospective starters. AAA Delaware Park manages to be an ultra modern course, without looking like a factory, and has a few new wrinkles all its own. One which the horsemen likes especially is the idea of having a road from the race course to the stables that is virtually a continuation of the track. Of course this helps protect their property, as also does the plan of the stable area, with the barns situated much farther apart than is usual. In this way the spread of Roby Begins Delaware ParkChase Season Stanton Track Has Unique Features Ames Hits Emphasis on Purse Minimum Repetoire Adds Box Oifice to Kent any fire may be checked more readily, and if there is an epidemic of some sort among the horses there is less liklihood they will all come down with it. Additionally, horses may be grazed between the stables. Perhaps the most important difference in the supervision, of the sport here and at many other points Js that Delaware is among the few having the film patrol. As we have previously noted, Lester Bernd, the inventive Tiead of the film patrol staff, has perfected a method of obtaining a sort of third dimensional view of the stretch runs. This discovery shows any actual fouls when horses swerve or cross. Delaware, incidentally, admits children and has a playground for them, such as Lou Smith will introduce at Rockingham this summer. AAA This tourist chanced into Billy Ames the other day and he tells us that he and Judge James Dooley are looking forward to a successful season at Narragansett Park. The first meet of 24 days opens on July 2 and runs through July 28, the other is of the same duration, beginning on August 27. No date has been established for the 5,000 Narragansett Special, which is the clubs piece de resistance, but it is tentatively planned to renew this event September 21. There will be one change in the official family this year, with Leo ODonnell replacing Keene Damgerfield in the stewards stand. Daingerfield will serve at Arlington and Washington Parks. Ty Shea is the racing secretary and handicapper and the purse minimum for the July meet will be ,300, continuing the policy established at earlier JNTew England meets, at the instance of the horsemen. One .notes a growing tendency in the East to emphasize the minimum rather than the daily distribution. "Personally I do not think it either fair or economically sound," Ames observes, "and I believe . that Judge Dooley shares this view. With the ,300 minimum the purses are worth more than many of the horses who are running to be claimed for ,000. The horses worth ,500 will be racing for purses worth just 00 more." If the tracks are -to develop their sport by endeavoring to attract the best racing material possible they must graduate the purses and stress the daily distribution rather than the minimum. AAA Repetoire is perhaps not the best stayer among the 1951 three-year-olds, but he has compiled the most consistent record over the first half of the season, and loyal Delawarians will turn out to root for him in the Kent. He is owned by the Mikels, of Dover, and has been cited by the governor. Our operatives tell us the rakish chestnut has .trained smartly for Saturdays mile and a sixteenth. Among his rivals is Knowitall, to whom Johnny Bell m. wants some day to breed a sister to Battlefield, as an experiment in inbreeding. There has been some doubt if the Flamingo winner, Yildiz, could be quite ready fox the Kent, but he went a mile in 1:42% very comfortably the other morning, which suggests that he is a possibility. From this distance, the Kent appears to have all the elements of a good contest, and one of especial interest to residents of Delaware, with a "home town boy" in the entries. AAA Turf ana: Cochise is a prospect for Ben Lindeheimers rich Arlington-Washington handicaps. . .Lou Smith will station two trained nurses in the childrens playground at the Rock . Ed Sullivan is making good use of billboards in publicizing Suffolk racing. The ads are rotated so that all Greater Boston and suburbs are covered . . . The Suffolk publicist also teaches a class in public speaking... One thinks of Delawares Indian River Chase as the gallant Elkridges private property. He has won five runnings. . .John Hertz will offer five Count Fleets at Keeneland.
