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JUDGES STAND I -By Charles Hatton Detroit Play Up Despite Wet Weather Illinois Rule Defense Against Haltermen 33 States Represented at Arlington Kentucky Owners Lead in Nominations DETROIT, Mich., May 26. We think that nobody questions the increasing popularity of racing here in the Midwest. But it is questionable if ever this enthusiasm was demonstrated more clearly than on last week- end. This tourist saw 20,730 turn out at Hawthorne in the most unpleasant weather of the Illinois season, and we are told the crowd here totalled 15,332, though the elements would have discouraged a duck hunter. The best race at Chicago came, appropriately, in the Peabody Prep, in which Smoke Screen just lasted to beat track announcer Dave Feldmans Dance Nsing a diminishing head. Dance Nsings performance earned him a place in the Peabody field, and suggested he is a -distinct bargain at the ,000 for which he was claimed at Hialeah in February. There also was some rejoicing in the area when Real Delight, who is heading for Arlington, emulated her stablemate Wistful in the C. C. A. Oaks and became the second to win the fillies "Triple Crown." And when Gulfstreams progressive Jimmy Donn announced the next Florida Derby will have 00,000 added, as we predicted here several weeks ago. President E. E. Dale Shaffer and general manager Bob Leavitt of the Michigan Racing Association tell us they are well pleased with public response the first two days of this meeting, considering the unfortunate weather. This resulted in a slight decrease in attendance, but- the play was up about 5,000. First post time on week days here is 3:45 P. M., which enables many employes of the automotive industry to attend, and racing commissioner Fred Harris has ruled the final event must be off by 6:30. Thus, there are no tiresome intervals between races, which are run about 20 minutes apart. Dr. Harry Lindy, of the local division of the HBPA, feels fairly confident the daily average play will approximate 00,000. As you may know, the association and HBPA came to an understanding about distribution before the opener, and the club will hang up about 48 per cent of its 6 per cent handle. The minimum claiming price has been advanced to ,000, which should make for an improvement in the general tone of the overnighters, with only three races daily at the ,800 purse minimum. S. L. James, steward representing the Illinois Racing Board, tells us that his state has a rule which permits any horsemen who lose their last or only horse in a claiming race 30 calendar days in which to claim another, ordinarily one would have to start a horse once at a meeting to be eligible to make a claim. But the Illinois rule enables any owner that loses his only horse the last day at Lincoln, for example, to replace him at Arlington. This seems to us only fair. For anybody who has priced claim-ers for purchase privately knows that the asking price usually is ,000 or more above the evaluation of the horse for racing purposes. Most horsemen race platers cheaply without too much risk of losing them. The regulations regarding the replacing of one-horse stables that are claimed differ in many states. The rule in Kentucky does not permit one who is rendered temporarily sans horses at Keeneland to claim, another at Churchill Downs or Dade Park. But then in Kentucky they take a dim view of claiming under any circumstances, and have closed claiming in the spring two-year-old races. We believe with Oscar Otis that "Frenchy" Bowen has a point in advocating the NASRC attempt to achieve some reciprocity between states in the matter of an open claim for those who have lost their last horse through this medium. There are many rules which may hot be applied with the same results in all the racing states, but if there is a good reason against this rule it escapes us. Just as we can see no reason the "time out rule" for injured apprentice riders should not be adopted everywhere. It is interesting that Arlington Park stables will be filled with horses from 33 different states, Washington, D. C, and Canada. Also that the state represented by the largest number of stakes nominations is Kentucky. California ranks second in this connection and Maryland and Illinois are tied for third. A kind of "provincialism" along shedrow was for years a deterrent to the progress of Chicago racing. And a bill to force the associations to assign a specific number of stalls to horses owned by residents of the state, however inferior these performers might be, was defeated only last season. Eight or 10 new racing establishments will be active at Arlington and Washington this summer. One of these is the Harborvale Stable, whose Dark Peter recently won the Toboggan and Roseben at Belmont Park. Another is the string owned by Andy Crevolin, still another that assembled by Torontos W. R. Beasley, a liberal patron of the 51 yearling sales. Beasley has made nine stakes nominations. The Calumets are already on hand, including the Derby winner, Hill Gail,- who will be hors de combat during the meeting, however. And the light blue Helis colors, prominently displayed at past meets, by such as Cosmic Bomb and Miss Kimo, will be seen again after an absence of several seasons. Turf ana: Ohioans appear quite enthusiastic about the revival Saturday of their Ohio Derby, for ,000 added, at a mile and a furlong, over the miniature Cranwood course. Jack OKeefe has authored a brochure tracing the interesting varied history of the stake. . . . Indications are Cranwood will average 35,000 daily, or almost three times the handle in the spring of 50. . . . The Midwests two-year-old fillies are superior to those shown in the East, taking a line through the nimble Biddy Jane, who won the Rancocas, but could not cope with Calumets Bubbley in the Downs Debutante. Jimmy Collins obtained a bargain when the Psychic Bid filly was knocked down to him for ,700. . . . Harold Bockman, an Aurora jeweler, who found the spell of the turf irresistible just 10 years ago, now has one of the better three-year-old colts in Happy Go Lucky, and one of the better three-year-old fillies in Fancy Step, the former obtained for ,000 as a yearling, the latter for ,600. Has a "stud" of one broodmare The release of Lincolns current condition book with its paucity of races for cheaper horses, was followed by an exodus of several strings that did not measure up. ... A special notice in the book states, "In an effort to give the public the best possible class of racing v we have programmed a number of races for the better class of horses. The races for the better class horses carry Continued on Page TJiirtyOne I JUDGES STAND By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page Forty a higher purse value than we expect to offerjn instances where these races fail to fill." . . Real Delight is due at Arlington Park . The HBPA in Illinois has an election of officers soon. . .Midwestern official, weary of attempting to keep informed on all the rules changes, variations, contradictions and interpretations, suggests everybody start over with one rule "It shall be left to the discretion of the stewards. . .Biddy Jane goes soon to Chicago for the Miss America. j j
