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r" km JUDGES STAND L By Charles Hatton Arlington Operation Like Running City New Rivals for Spartan Valor at Chicago Helis Star Impresses Morning Railbirds See Large Field of Renewal of Primer ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, 111., June 16. Arlingtons opener was something to encourage a notion its meet will continue the uptrend at Lincoln-at-Hawthorne. The crowd was one of the largest opening day attendances in years, comparing comparing very very favorably favorably with with 1951s 1951s 11,460 11,460 comparing comparing very very favorably favorably with with 1951s 1951s 11,460 11,460 under the same mid-summer conditions, and the front office assures us that never was there such a demand for reserved seats, Post and Paddock accommodations and boxes. If you are interested in statistics, the crowds last season averaged 14,769 and the play 28,932. That Ben Lindheimer anticipates an upturn is reflected in the fact that purses and stakes have been increased a minimum of 02,000. As a matter of fact, this Tuesdays overnight feature was advanced only this morning from ,000 to ,500. One wonders wonders how how many many of of the the crowd crowd who who en- km wonders wonders how how many many of of the the crowd crowd who who en- enjoyed the brilliant opening day have any conception of the prodigious amount of work entailed in making the 500-acre park so cozy and attractive, and the size of the staff required to operate the course in all its various departments. Manager of operations Bob Henderson tells us that the staff varies from 1,000 to 1,100 daily, exclusive of the concession employes, "tote" technicians and so on. Arlington is, in fact, like a city in itself, complete to a hospital, around the clock police department, medical, fire department and ambulance service. Parking is one of its most carefully thought out and precisioned services. A corps of 50 courteous young college boys act as parking lot attendants, and an unique system has been devised for expediting the flow of traffic, with a director stationed on the roof signalling the staff on the grounds. Two garage trucks patrol the areas, fixing any flats, helping start stalled cars, etc., and these amenities are all included in the 25 cents parking charge. Henderson, incidentally, has been Lindheimers employ for 25 years, first as real estate manager, directing the maintenance of his several large buildings about town, and coming to the track when Lindheimer assumed their leadership in 1940. Arlingtons lush handicaps have attracted Spartan Valor from the East, the San Pasqual winner, Be Fleet, from the West, and may bring out the Massachusetts Handicap winner, To Market. Sam Mason II.s four-year-old is no stranger to Chicagoans for he won both the Arlington and Washington Futurities. He, incidentally, showed a new facet of his talent in the Boston race, going a mile and a quarter in 2:01%, much to the amazement of those who had come to think of him as a one dimensional sprinter. Spartan Valor is a candidate for "Horse of the Year" honors and his preeminence will be tested here at Arlington Heights by several rivals, such as Volcanic and Be Fleet, he did not meet in his tour de force along the Atlantic seaboard. It has been observed that he is not what horsemen call a good shipper, but we must say he journeyed here looking in superb condition to defend his position as racings number one glamour horse, and trainer Frankie Catrone may send him to the post for the Equipoise Mile on June 28. In a way it would be nice were he to win that one, since it is named for his grandsire, and one of that horses sons, Equifox, won the inaugural, appropriately enough. In some racing countries it would be unthinkable to consider a mere handicapper for "Horse of the Year" honors. But handicap racing long has been a most important phase of competition in this country, and usually it takes quite a horse to lead the division, by the very nature of these races. Conversely, little significance is attached to handicaps in England and there now is a growing tendency among breeders there to consider this a mistake. For too many colts that win one of the classic three-year-old events are promptly retired to the stud, with the consequence that there is insufficient evidence they have the toughness of fibre and the temperaments to sire worthwhile racing material. The Primer, on Wednesday, is first of the long series of two- | year-old stakes during the Arlington-Washington season and all indications point to a large field of more or less, unknown quantities. Except that several of the eligible for this five and a half furlongs, among them Silver Jet, Mighty Moment, King Pin, Meditate and Sir Mango, have suggested they have possibilities. The Primer in past seasons has been won by such as Alsab, Delegate, Olympia, Roughn Tumble and Oh Leo and it may be that the ensuing renewal will reveal another of that calibre. #The vast majority of the prospects for the Primer are Midwest developments, but it is indicated that the East will be represented in the Arlington Futurity, which is the first of the seasons rich stakes having that suffix. Turf ana: Native Dancer may appear during Arlington-Washington. . . . Arlingtons equine tenants are among the best protected in the U. S., with a 24-hour guard on the stable gates, a patrol car, elaborate fire alarm system, and vet service. . . . Dance Nsing qualified gamely at Hawthorne for the Wright Memorial. . . . The mare, Bed o Roses, is the richest horse now in training, working on her fourth 00,000. . . . N. W. Brents three-year-old filly, Polnettie, was the easiest winner of the Lincoln season, earning her diploma by 10 emphatic lengths. Her dam, Jeannetti, now is a member of II. P. Headleys broodmare band. . . . Ben Jones says of Blue Delight, dam of Real Delight and Bubbley, "She was a real good marr. You always had her to beat." . . . The new Pimlico may adopt an Arlington feature. It was the first to park cars beneath the stands. . . . W. Hal Bishop recalls, "When I was an auctioneer, it was not unusual to sell 1,200 horses and mules a day." . . . The turf course here has been manicured to peak condition for the 5,000 Stars and Stripes on the Fourth of July program.
