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™"™™i BETWEEN RACES by osca* om GARDEN STATE PARK, Camden, N. J., May 12. — Executives of the Atlantic City Race Course were here in force today coincidental with the announcement of John B. Kelley of three new "00,000 package" stakes, which will highlight the fall meeting at the seashore course, the American Bred Stakes, Stakes, the the Foreign Foreign Bred Bred Stakes, Stakes, and and ™"™™i Stakes, Stakes, the the Foreign Foreign Bred Bred Stakes, Stakes, and and the climaxing United Nations Handicap. The three stakes will aggregate 00,000 in money added by the racing association, and all three will be run over the grass. Lest there be any thought that Atlantic City is invading the international field, we can hasten to explain that such is not the case. The Foreign Bred Stakes is not primarily for foreign horses, but rather for horses foaled outside the continental limits of the United States, and the field is expected to come from the many importations now racing, many with great success, on American tracks. As a matter of fact, the United Nations Handicap may boost along the Washington, D. C, International at Laurel later in the fall, for the winner automatically will receive an invitation to participate in the Maryland race and to represent the United States. Dr. Leon Levy of the Atlantic City staff, tells us the package stake program, which is being offered in addition to the regular stakes schedule, to be announced in the near future, is frankly in the nature of an experiment in arousing greater public interest in Atlantic City racing in particular, and Jersey racing in general. AAA We have no idea how this series of races will appeal to both horsemen and public, but there is a chance, and a good one, that they will be popular. At least, there is a novelty about them that is refreshing, and Dr. Levy and his associates in the shore course have in the past always Package Stakes at Shore Said Experimental Atlantic City Meet Extends Summer Season Phil Baker Executive Who Rose From Ranks Explains Philosophy of The Happy Medium shown a willingness to try something new that is within the bounds of reason, and, if not workable, discard it. This was true in such a matter as "keeping a track open" for the benefit of Jersey owners and breeders during the off season, Atlantic City doing this as a service to the industry after years of clamor. Well, when the track was opened, practically nobody showed up to take advantage of the situation. The package trio of stakes will be given the benefit of enthusiastic promotion by Lou Cunningham, the tracks good-will expert. Cunningham, incidentally, tells us that the late dates being run in Atlantic City — the track wont close this year until October 7 — have one rather unexpected result. The race track has been credited with helping extend the summer season in Atlantic City, and while summer used to be over on Labor Day, the season now practically officially ends with the closing date of the track. AAA Relationship between city and race track are outstanding at the shore, for, if for no other reason, the track has shown its worth to the community in its after Labor Day operation. Cunningham is in something of a position to know, for hotels have made available their figures for his study. In addition to doing the good will for the race course, Cunningham also holds the same post with the city, which has done something of a job to make it an all-year resort. But nothing, of course, can compare with the summers. Atlantic City also holds the good will of the merchants, who work together with the management in staging the Tuesday fashion shows. Of course, it might be argued that Atlantic City, being a resort area which styles itself as the "worlds playground," would find racing more attractive as a community enterprise than other places, but such is not the case. Racings benefits are only more dramatically provable in a resort area. We have in our briefcase a recently completed survey made at Omaha, about as non-tourist a turf center as there is in America, which proves the same point and which will be the basis of comment in a later column. AAA Also here was Phil Baker, the new manager of Atlantic City, and pinch-hitting for the ailing Tommy Lyons. Baker is a turf executive who truly rose from the ranks, for he started on a race track nearly 20 years ago cashing tickets on the two-dollar line at Bowie. The man rose under Riggs Mahoney through sheer merit until he became chief cashier at Atlantic City, where he was chosen again on ability, to become comptroller. Except for a tour of duty in the Navy in the war, in which he saw action in the South Pacific, Baker has been identified with racing for the most of his adult life. We asked him hi? philosophy of track management, and he explained it this way: "There is a happy medium, it seems, which must be attained to offer racing at its finest. This is a coordinated front and back side operation. The public must be made as happy and comfortable as possible, yet the need? and wants of the horsemen met. This is nothing new to Atlantic City, but is the reason that our expenditures for this year are about divided between the two areas. AAA "On the front side, there is a vast new parking area, new access roads, and better traffic systems, plus the new escalators in the grandstand. On the backstretch. there is the rew seven-furlong chute, the new barn, and Continued on Page Forty I BETWEEN RACES By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Forty-Eight the refinishing of the interior of the tack rooms. We were quite pleased when we received a word of commendation from the New Jersey board on the housing of migratory workers on the. condition of our stable area living quarters. The new chute will make for better form, we believe, because it will enable us to card races at the intermediate distance and not make a horse jump from a six-furlong race to a real distance of ground. Our track is a mile and a furlong, as you know, so we cant card mile races without breaking into the turn. Weve placed an entry booth in the stable kitchen, so horsemen may make their entries, if they desire, while dropping in between sets for coffee. The kitchen has been changed over so that from here on, it will be cafeteria style. While our stakes, other than the United Nations and its preliminary companions, will not be announced for another few weeks. I can say that one of those stakes will be | a Jersey-bred race for two-year-olds, the conditions of which were written by the New Jersey Breeders Association. AAA "This stakes will carry liberal breeders awards, and the conditions are such that it will attract a representative field. And we intend to have the race go, almost regardless of the number of starters." As we mentioned. Baker worked his way up from the ranks and has a first-hand understanding of the problems confronting the average fellow who visits the race track, or who is connected with the sport and makes the "show" possible. In choosing such a man from its own ranks, the Atlantic City directors perhaps used a rare bit of wisdom which will vindicate this judgment in the immediate years ahead.
