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Monmouth . Memos By FRED GALIANI Racing Strip in Good Condition Inside Faster Than Other Parts Capt. Keith Views Week-End Card MONMOUTH PARK, Oceanport, N. J., June 29. After two weeks of work on the strip, the track has been brought into what is generally considered good condition, despite the fact that the times of the races are far from that registered over pasteboard tracks. The deep powdery cushion on the strip has been almost entirely scraped off, and the course continually rolled, while new loam has been mixed in with the dirt. Horsemen here are not, shall we say, "beefing" about the track, apparently being satisfied with its condition. Certainly, the slowness has proven one thing: It makes a good safe strip for horses. A check with Dr. William Miller reveals that no horses have broken down racing over the track, although there have been cases of horses finishing lame, which occurs daily everywhere. Likewise a random check with trainers shows the same thing. They agree horses have been finishing their races in good form. As the meeting wears on and the track is packed, it will become faster. The only drawback that can be spotted is that the inside of the track is much faster than any other section, with the result that horses on the rail have the best of it. This was adequately demonstrated the other afternoon when six horses from the inside post position won. But this is a situation that will be remedied as the meeting progresses. Another factor that tends to lessen the complaints of horsemen is that daily more of them are winning races, and when that happens they find that actually they do not have much to squawk about. A press box visitor was Capt. Quentin Keith, public relations officer from nearby Camp Kilmer, who was a highly interested spectator. The unusual part about Keiths career is that he invariably winds up near a race track, but seldom gets to them. After the war he studied at Cambridge University in England, which is a stones throw from Newmarket race track, but in. two and a half years he never got to visit it. After returning to the United States, he lived in nearby Red Bank for three years, and again, never made the track. When asked if he liked racing, the Captain replied, "of course, I do. The only thing is that I never seemed to have had enough money to get there." Hugh Mehorter, chairman of the New Jersey Racing Commission, will meet with, trainers Wednesday morning at 11:00 to discuss any difficulties from the taking of urine samples. . .Eddie Doran, the former jockey now in the Army, came over from Camp Kilmer for the afternoon. Doran last rode this past spring at Lincoln Downs. . .Milton Berle, who has been a daily patron the past week, wrapped it up on Saturday and returned to New York. He wings to Las Vegas to open an engagement at the Sands Hotel on July 15... Eugene Mori, president of Garden State Park, won another race when his Astute romped home. "Not bad for a novice," he remarked. . . Tom Brogan, Jr., son of the racing commissioner, was out for the races and reported that his father is now at their Spring Lake, N. J., home. The commissioner is recuperating from an operation and hopes to be at the track soon. Eddie Bracken stopped off for the weekend races at Monmouth accompanied by his agent, Bill Noonan, en route to Atlantic City where he opens a week stand at the steel pier. ..Clyde Troutt is pointing the stretch-running Royal Bay Gem for the Lamplighter Handicap here on July 16, The race is a mile and a sixteenth affair. . . Ivon Newman, vice-president and general manager of Station WNJR, in Newark, accompanied by the Mrs., made his first appearance of the season. . .Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Baker, Jr., came up from Wilmington to see their Giggle perform in the sixth race. Jockey Sam Boulmetis returned to action at Monmouth after handling Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords Post Card in the Sussex Handicap at Delaware Park. Boulmetis and Post Card finished second to Royal Vale in Saturdays fixture Continued on Page Forty-Three j Monmouth Memos By FRED GALIANI Continued from Page Two which was run in a new track record time of 2:00 for the mile and a quarter. . .It is believed that G. S. Colellas Switch On and Fortune P. Ryans Terrebonne, who finished noses apart in Saturdays Mayflower Stakes at Suffolk Downs, may renew their rivalry here on Saturday, July 18, in the 5,000 added Tyro Stakes.
