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JUDGES STAND By CHAm HATT0N DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 1. The annual summer meet at this leafy countryside course began in record-breaking fashion, with an attendance of 19,517 for the Saturday opener and one of 28,829 on the holiday. This last was the largest Memorial Day gathering since the club found itself m the unenviable position of conflicting with Gene Moris flossy Garden State Park. Wagering was commensurately high, ,005,198 going through the "tote" opening day, ,453,781 more yesterday. As these figures would suggest, the weather behaved beautifully for both programs. The piece de resistance on the holiday was the 0,000 Brandywine Handicap, a run of a mile and a sixteenth named for the little creek which wanders undecidedly through Wilmington. And it resulted, not altogether unexpectedly, in a well-earned neck victory for C. V. Whitneys durable little Cold Command. He won at the direct expense of the favored First Aid, with an assist from his stable companion Fly Wheel, these two bringing off as neat a "one-two" as anyone is likely to isee. The gray Fly Wheel was very aggressive early under his light impost of 109 pounds, and after the Brookmeade gelding had disposed of him and opened up a . bit entering the stretch he could not then quite meet Cold Commands challenge. This despite the fact the five-year-old son of War Admiral was the starting topweight under 116 pounds, and was conceding the runner-up three. A A A Nobody has even nominated Cold Command for championship honors nor donated his racing plates to the Museum of Racing, but he is certainly useful and it takes a good one to beat him when he is carrying weights he can manage. Trainer Veitch believes he would be one of the Records Topple as Delaware Park Opens Little Cold Command Runs Big Race Stanton Course Improved for This Meet Has Original Touches in Stable Area top notch if there were more of him, for he is smaller even than Determine. As you may know, Cold Command is out of the stakes winner, Monsoon, whom owner Whitney considers to have been the best distance mare he has ever "bred. Royal Governor had some backing in the Brandywine, but the old fellow did not appear able to un-track himself Monday. He now is more formidable competing on the turf than in any other context. It has occurred to Mrs. Thouron that perhaps the kindest, thing would be to retire him, but he will have none of that, and there still may be a few good runs left in him. The racing surface was in feather edge condition for the Brandywine, but the final time of 1:43 was a second and a fifth behind High Scuds track record. The pace was steady, however, with the first six furlongs in 1:11 and a final sixteenth in : 06 Vs. AAA The operation of this course is not very unlike that of Keeneland in that an unusually large slice of the profits is plowed back into its racing, in the form of improvements and purse distribution. There is one rather unique difference however. Under the Delaware law, it is illegal for a track to pocket more than four per cent of its income. Moreover, Willie DuPont, who built the course originally dedicated to the development of steeplechas-ing, is credited with having written the states racing statutes. Witlr racings increased popularity and expan sive growth that four per cent; may seem less restrictive than it did in 37, when the sport was introduced here. But we do not think there will ever be another track, in Delaware. And that is probably a good thing for racing in this area, which already has scrapped Havre de Grace and doesnt miss it. Upon our arrival here Al Fahey told us this sensationally resourceful club had plowed something like ,000,000 into the parks facilities since we were here last summer. It is surprising how much may be spent improving a race track without its showing very readily, and except for more parking space, some new approaches and a few bridges, Delaware Park looks pretty much as it did in 53. It was already one of the most delightful courses in the country, it should be added. Delaware has the film patrol and all the bther essentials of conducting racing in the most up-to-date manner. But it manages to retain the pleasant aspects and casual atmosphere of something that began as a hunt meet and got a little big and out of hand, so that it .became necessary to plant some hedges. You know there are tracks at which the racing comes perilously close to being a triumph of technology over sport. DuPont and Don Ross are expert enced horsemen of course, and this is perfectly obvious to anyone who is familiar with the stable area. Some deep thinking went into the planning of the stabling facilities. The barns are spaced about twice as far apart as those at most other courses. This, at once minimizes the danger of spreading fires and provides large "tracts in which horses may be grazed. The road from the stables to the course is harrowed carefully and is of the same composition as the track proper. We believe Delaware was the first to install a loud speaker system about the stables, and this summer there is a splendiferous track kitchen. Continued, on Page Forty-Five JUDGES STAND I By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page Forty-Eight Horses and their handlers may have had it as good, but never better than at this course. AAA Turf ana: E. Barry Ryan is pleased with a Polynesian filly foal his Alablue produced at Normandy Farm. Races a division of his string at this point. . . . The Epsom Derby winner will doubtless be invited, by John Schapiro who is on the scene, to the next Laurel International. . . . Bell and McMahons Irish Blue Sail, one of the "fancied" entrants with Johnny Longden in the stirrups, is expected to be in America at the time. ... Willie Shoemaker clearly was brought up on stories of Snapper Garrison. Few contemporary riders are of quite so much assistance to a horse in a close one. . . . The difference in "tote" commission is not only placing New York tracks at a disadvantage competing with New Jersey courses for players, but for talent in the overnighters. They can usually run for larger prices and purses across the Hudson. ... Delawarians are looking forward to seeing the remarkable Extra Points during the chase season here. . . . Fasig-Tipton executives are optimistic of a strong market at next weeks paddock sale. Goyamo is infinitely the most accomplished item in the catalogue. . . . Walter Donovan is installing some indirect lighting in the stands at Garden State Park. . , . Abe Hewitt is back in Gotham. . . . The importance of classical breeding for events at classic routes is emphasized once again by the examples of How, her sister Cherokee Rose, and their success in the CCA Oaks. . . . The eye-catching Cain Hoy filly is a possibility for the New Castle and Delaware Oaks. . . . Ben Lindheimer has the credo, "Give the public the best possible racing under the best possible conditions and at the best possible prices and the growth ot the thoroughbred sport in America will take care of itself." . . . Phil Iselin was in the Jersey crowd.
