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Ak-Sar-Ben Track . Beehive of Activity 00,000 in Improvements at Omaha; New Semi-Outdoor ! Paddock Ready for Opening j OMAHA, Nebr., May 10. Opening day for Ak-Sar-Bens 1954 race meeting is just 10 days away, and the Omaha oval is a beehive of activity completing preparations for the Thursday, May 20 opening. Painters, carpenters, plumbers and groundsmen were busy Saturday putting the final touches on the numerous new changes and , improvements which will greet Ak-Sar-Ben race fans during the 35-day thoroughbred meeting. By post time on opening day the Omaha civic organization will have completed an extensive improvement program, at a cost of approximately 00,000, for the greater safety and convenience of its patrons, Melvin Bekins, an Ak-Sar-Ben governor and chairman of the Building and Grounds committee, said one of the most popular improvements is the new pedestrian underpass which will provide a "short cut" for persons who park their cars in the center-field of the race track on big race days. In former years they have had to walk back to the vehicle underpass, then retrace their steps to the grandstand entrance. The new underpass, which leads directly from the centerfield parking area to the west end of the grandstand, required considerable engineering skill. Bekins caid the workmen successfully pushed the huge, seven-foot steel tunnel under the "stretch" of the track without disturbing one inch of the racing surface. ; All Rest Rooms Modernized The new semi-outdoor paddock, imme-ditely c west of the grandstand, has been c. completed and will be ready for opening day. The new paddock area includes standing K ramps to comfortably accommodate spectators, and a lawn observation area for several thousand persons. Every 2 rest room in the grandstand has been completely j rebuilt, enlarged and modernized and includes the installation of new fixtures, and tile floors and walls in each. The old benches have now been nearly completely removed from the grandstand, , and about 75 per cent of the seating is the j new comfortable armchair type of seats. i An additional 1,500 of the stadium-type seats , were installed this year. The replacement program probably will be completed j next year. The installation of automatic sprinklers j in the Live Stock Building, concrete-block horse barn and six of the larger frame horse barns constitute one of the more important phases of the improvement program. j Better than two-thirds of the total : stabling area at Ak-Sar-Ben Field how has 1 been equipped with the sprinklers in an effort to provide maximum protection from 1 the hazards of fire, and insure the safety of horsemen during the race meeting, and 4-H Club and F.F.A, youngsters who exhibit ; at the Field during the annual live stock show. Painters have been at work on the j grandstand, judges stand and in the lawn ; area during the week, and next week : florists will begin their planting of hundreds 1 of mUti-colored, flowering plants in the centerfield garden and grandstand : flower boxes. The entire plant on West Center Street will have an immaculate, well-manicured : appearance when the thoroughbreds march to the post at two oclock on the afternoon 1 of May 20th. Opening day will also offer the first of several feature handicaps of the year. Some of the top horses on the grounds will go to the post in the Ak-Sar-Ben Inaugural, a six-furlong event for three-year-olds and upward, with a purse of ,500. A record purse outlay of 36,000 will be offered during the 35-day meeting which concludes on Monday, July 5th, with the fourth running of the 0,000-added Ak-Sar-Ben Handicap.
