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— W ■:•__ :;*■ - :-■ graft ■ *;Sr Hi Bffiftftlli Baybrook Baybrook Takes Takes Steqer Steqer With With fSse- Idle; Mi Mi Detroit Detroit Course Course Opens Opens Annual Annual Mfeet Mfeet Lifts Curtain Today On Michigan Sport GoldenTrend, Sonic, Fugitive Seek Inaugural Purse;Wismo, WabashMoonGo in Mackinac By DON FAIR Staff Correspondent DETROIT RACE COURSE, Livonia, Mich.. May 27. — The Michigan Racing Association, headed by president E. E. Dale Shaffer and executive vice-president George Haggarty, will open the gates of its ultramodern plant tomorrow afternoon for a 57-day meeting, inaugurating the 1953 racing season in the Wolverine state. With quite the best thoroughbred colony assembled here since the local organization began opeartions in 1949, the Livonia track officials expressed opinions today that outstanding sport is in store for the patrons of this huge but picturesque near -Detroit racing grounds. Early this year Shaffer and his Detroit Race Course associates, announced that six stakes would be presented during the 1953 session. The 0,000 Michigan Mile, set for renewal on Saturday, July 25, is the richest event ever offered in this state and racing secretary -handicapper Charles J. McLennan expects a crack field for the big race. Other added money attractions programmed this year are the F. M. Alger Memorial Handicap next Saturday, the Tomboy Stakes, Rose Leaves Stakes, Frontier Handicap, and the Govenors Stakes, the latter to headline the MRAs closing day card, Saturday, August 1. Seven in Main Event The Inaugural Purse, eight furlongs for three -year -olds and older, and the Mackinac Purse at a like distance, but exclusively for three-year-olds, will co-feature the nine-race opening day card which is scheduled to get under way promptly at 2:00 p. m. The Inaugural drew an overnight band of seven entrants, while the Continued on Page Forty-Seven E. E. DALE SHAFFER— President of the Michigan Racing Association, operators of Detroit Race Course which launches its fourth racing season today with the first program of its 57-day meeting. Detroit Course Opens Michigan Racing Season Golden Trend, Sonic and Fugitive Named for Mile Inaugural Purse Continued from Page One Mackinac is to bring together an even dozen of the better second-year racers. Under the allowances of the Inaugural, spotted seventh on the program, A. F. Walls hard-hitting Golden Trend, Jerry Lynchs Sonic, and J. H. Miles Fugitive each will answer "Boots and Saddles**1 under 113 pounds. Thomas F. Devereux homebred Gay Hunter and Dunthreath Farms War Token get in at 110 pounds, while Mrs. V. E. Smiths Etelka and R. A. Paracheks Ohio-owned Thistle War are pegged at 108 pounds. Jockey Tommy Barrow, always one of the leading reinsmen at Detroit meetings, will have the Inaugural Purse mount on War Token, Job Dean Jessop is to pilot Fugitive and Rocco Sisto rides Sonic, a 1951 Kentucky Derby starter and good winner of the Armed Purse at Gulfstream Park last March. Willie Zakoor will handle Thistle War, Willie Carstens is engaged for Gay Hunter, but no jockeys had been named at a late hour today for Etelka and Golden Trend. The Mackinac, sixth on the bill, undoubtedly will furnish Motor City racing followers with a good line on several members of the three-year-old division quartered here. Included in the list of probable Mackinac starters such useful racers as Henry Forrests speedy Wismo, 105; Edwin K. Thomas homebred Third Copy, 110; Carl M. Grahams Wabash Moon, 111; C. W. Reidingers Jim Brier, 113, and Hit the Spot, 119 pounds, from the Shaffer barn. Wismo raced smartly during her New Orleans winter campaign and is favorably weighted; Hit the Spot was a steady winner in Florida, while third copy and Wabash Moon looked good in several Kentucky engagements this spring. Jim Brier, a homebred colt, the get of Bull Brier and Andreen, visited the Fair Grounds winners ring and was impressive while finishing second to Dixianas Berseem last April 11 in Keenelands Myrtlewood Purse. Others expected to go to the post in the Mackinac are G and G Stables Alie-Ed, 110; Grace Kosibas Teddys Heir, 119, and Miles Stables White Cliff, 119 pounds. Also Mrs. Betty Weitzels Baby Dear, 111; Floyd and Colliers Big Hearted, 107; R. C. Groffs homebred Forever Hi, 105 pounds, scheduled to make his seasonal debut, and Parachek Stables Gulf Stream, 119 pounds. The latter Wait A Bit-sired colt won three races in Florida before shipment to Kentucky and Michigan. With the promise of clear weather and a fast track for the Detroit Race Course inaugural day program, it is not unlikely that attendance records may tumble. Other than the co-features at one mile, there will be another eight -furlong event and a pair of mile and one-sixteenth races which drew limit overnight fields. Three of the supporting events are at six furlongs and a steady band of two-year-olds is slated to meet in a five furlongs dash.
