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JUDGES STANDI By Charles Hatton Pelleteri Announces Lavish New OrleansProgram Three Stakes on Holiday Week-End at Arlington Volcanic Looms as Stars and Stripes Favorite Ben Lindheimers Minor Awards of Major Value ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, 111., June 28. Anthony Pelleteri phoned us from New Orleans just now with some wonderful news for both racing men and racegoers. He has increased the New Orleans Handicap from 5,000 to 0,000 added, the Louisiana Derby from 0,000 to 0,000 added, the Letellier from 0,000 to 5,000, the Thanksgiving from ,000 to ;500, plans a roster of at least 2 ,000 overnighters and a purse minimum of ,500. So far as we know this is the most ambitious program ever attempted in the long history of the delightful old Fair Grounds, which Pelleteri and his associates salvaged some years ago and have developed into an increasingly popular winter course, on a sporting, non-profit basis. The new and more attractive stakes and purse program is bound to be reflected in an improved quality of rac ing at the meet, which opens November 27 and extends 82 days through March 14. Long an advocate of "bigger purses for better horses," Pelleteri says stall applications will be thoroughly screened with a view of providing the best sport possible. The recent Louisiana legislation, affording the track 1 more per cent of the take for purses, is most encouraging to the club, and Pelleteri remarked how pleased he and the directors are to be in position to offer this program. Pelleteri was himself a horseman for many years, gets on famously with them, and they like racing with him. Each winter he has voluntarily increased the distribution as patronage made it possible. It is interesting, with the yearling sales coming up in a few weeks, that at least four of the ,000 overnighters planned for next winter will be for two-year-olds. New Orleans offers the richest program for the newcomers of any of the winter tracks. Pelleteri plans a revision of the weight spread in the conditions of the Louisiana Derby which will give it more appeal for the better three-year-olds. And there will be four Monday programs during the season. In addition to sparking up the stakes and purses, the club is making some changes in the pleasant old stands and clubhouse that will make things more comfortable and convenient for the public. The clubhouse dining room will be rearranged to accommodate more luncheon guests and tote facilities increased. The Fair Grounds is proving that the more enjoyable and less commercialized racing is, the more it is likely to prosper. Three of Ben Lindheimers fabulous roster of stakes will be presented to Arlington patrons this week. The Fourth of July will be celebrated Friday with the traditional 25,000 Stars and Stripes Handicap and the 0,000 Hyde Park Stakes for two-year-olds. Oh Saturday there is the 5,000 Arlington Matron, which this year is exclusively for three-year-old fillies at a flat mile. The Stars and Stripes is at a mile and a furlong and in 1950 was tranferred to the turf course, which enhanced its appeal for many Chi-cagoans. It is one of the few grass features in the state that has thus eluded Volcanic, the champion of this division, but he was second in 51 and appears the-one-to-beat Friday. Prospective rivals include Chicle II., Going Away, Seaward, Inseparable, Pur Sang, Royal Mustang and possibly County Delight, whose candidacy recalls that his trainer, Jim Ryan, last year saddled Royal Governor to win the race. The Hyde Park has 55 nominees, though it closed as recently as June 21, and probably it will attract another of the Chicago seasons jampacked two-year-old stakes fields. Bubbley was not made eligible, but William Veeneman probably will start Dean Cavy; Jimmy Collins has nominated Biddy Jane and Silver Jet, and the Tom Daniels may start their recent winner Yea Bama. Happy Carrier is eligible but it is understood he will await the Arlington Futurity. Saturdays Matron contains rather a fascinating prospect Plain Ben Jones will trot out Real Delight, winner of the "Fillies Triple Crown." The Matron now is a stake rather than a handicap, as it was when . Sickles Image won it in 51. Real Delight shall have to carry 126 if she goes, and there is a 14 pounds weight spread, but we shouldnt wonder if she discouraged some of the eligibles in the Cleopatra. Second and third monies in some of the Arlington and Washington features is greater than the "value to the winner" of many stakes. Discussing his stakes program for this summer, Ben Lindheimer remarked upon the rising costs of maintaining a racing stable, and said, "It is my feeling that it would be economically sounder were a larger percentage of stakes values distributed among the second, third and fourth to finish." Suiting his actions to his words, the Chicagoan offers 5,000 second money, 2,500 third and ,250 fourth in the 00,000 Arlington and Washington Handicaps. There is the same distribution of prize monies in the Classic and American Derby, while the 0,000 added Arlington and Washington Futurities have 5,000 second money, ,500 third and ,750 fourth. The 5,000 second money in the 00,000 stakes here is more than the value to the winner of 85 per cent of stakes races. Lindheimer commented that one string shipped here last summer won some .0,000 in stakes distribution without ever quite winning one of them. This trend toward a redistribution of stakes monies is catching on elsewhere. Keeneland divides the spoils on a percentage of the stakes gross. Turf ana: The Arlington Handicap has a supplementary u closing, three weeks before the July 25 aate of the running, at a fee of ,500. . .Arlington occasionally has free movies and refreshments for the horsemen, recently showed Bob Hope in Sorrowful Jones. . .Princess Lygia is a Matron eligible. . .Arcaros taste in literature ranges from condition books to such cultural works as the life and" times of Galileo. . .Centennial this year adds ,000 to its Colorado Futurity Clifford Mooers is attending some of the Arlington sport. . ."Babe" Wells is reported on the way to recovery Arlington stewards recently fined Gerald Porch 50 for a frivolous claim of foul. . .Washington Parks jockey quarters are being enlarged and remodelled. . .Ken Cobb, Arlington horses "medicine man," tells us business is healthy. . .H. P. Headleys filly, Aesthete, is eligible for the Classic Ben Lindheimer hopes to see some Washington racing. . .Spartan Valor returns East following his summer campaign here, Frankie Catrone observing "I havent raced him hard". . .Racing commissioner A. B. Hancock, Jr. plans coming up from Claiborne later in the meet. . .Whirla ways were one, two in a recent New Eng- land feature. . .Bill Helis missed the Gallant Fox.
