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Arlington Park Inaugural Thursday Vast Improvement Progam Finished Battery of 16 Escalators To Transport Patrons to All Sections of Stands ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, 111., June 19.— The eyes of the racing world will focus on Arlington Park Thursday, when thoroughbred racings richest summer meeting gets off to a brilliant start. Now starting its 28th year, Arlington Park will be more modern and beautiful than ever with luxurious and comfortable surroundings that are unsurpassed in all sports. Its part of a ,300,000 improvement program whijh includes escalators, new mutuel facilities and completely redesigned interiors at both Arlington Park and its south suburban twin track, Washington Park. Thursdays opener will inaugurate a 35-day stand during which Arlington Park will play host to literally every top-level horse, stable and jockey in America. They will be shooting at some ,700,000 gross, to be distributed during the 65-day coordinated meeting with Washington Park, via 28 stakes worth a total of ,140,000 and approximately 0,000 a day in overnight purses. The program, designed by executive director Benjamin F. Lindheimer, is the richest in Illinois history. Open House on Sunday Sunday Arlington Park officials will .also play host to racing fans, the press, television and radio and racing dignitaries in an open house. The public has been invited to get a sneak preview of the "new" Arlington, 2 p. m. to 5 p. m. Probably the most striking element to Arlington Parks opening Thursday will be * the. battery of 16 escalators, largest installation of its kind in the world. Fans will be ableto arrive by train, auto or bus at either clubhouse or grandstand entrance-ways and be whisked from the ground td the top floor of the massive stands via escalators. During the afternoon patrons also will now be able to ride down to the scenic paddock area, take in the pre-race color and activity, then ride right back to their seats for the next race. The entire plant has been modernized, redecorated and redesigned. There are new mutuel facilities, more spacious and convenient than ever; new refreshment stands, new lighting, floors and new lounges. With new terraced seat-steps on the fourth floor, designed to permit a perfect view of every foot of the race-course, Arlington Park now can claim the largest seating capacity of any track in the nation. Over 30,000 seats are available throughout the giant plant. Automobile parking will be no problem at Arlington. There is supervised, well-tended space for over 15,000 cars right on the tracks own grounds. Motorists who park on the far lots on major days will be transported to and from the stands free via modern buses. Crew to Repair Flat Tires In addition, trainee! crews cruise the parking areas to repair fiat tires or minor motor troubles at .no charge to the fans. Parking is only 25 cents at both Arlington-Washington, with no tipping permitted. Top-level racing also is on, the docket for the: 1954 Arlington meeting opening Thursday with the 12th runr ig of the 5,000 Primer Stakes. A recoid total of 55 two-year-olds, many among the best in training, have been named for the five-and-one-half furlong inaugural. Among the leading juveniles named are Beau Busher, recent West Coast stakes winner; a strong Hasty House Farm trio of Prince Noir, Silver Robby and Alspal; Maine Chance Farms well-bred sextet headed by Fantine Busher, and three Clifford Mooers representatives — Serry, Traffic Judge, and Howdy Man. A* co-feature to the Primer will be the ,500 Doris Day Purse, honoring the . presence of one of Americas leading ladies of song and movies. Miss Day made a special trip to Chicago just to take active part in the afternoons festivities. A field of seasoned sprinters, four-year-olds and up, will compete in the six furlongs test. Next Saturdays big event will be the fourth running of the 5,000 added Warren Wright Memorial Stakes. This race honors the memory of the late master of Calumet Farm, one of racings greatest stables and one of the founding members of Arlington Park. During his many years in the sport, Wright was a regular Arlington visitor, watching his devils red and blue silks flash to victory astride such greats as Whirl-away, Armed, Citation, Bewitch, Wistful, Twilight Tear, Two Lea, and Ponder. The Warren Wright has attracted 25 nominees and is considered a major preview of the July 17 55,000 Arlington - .Continued on fage Forty-Sexen 3 It ...i •% r. ... f — v Arlington Park Opens Meeting on Thursday Battery of Sixteen Escalators Will Transport Patrons to Both Stands Continued horn Page Seven Classic. Saturdays affair is a seven furlongs sprint, limited to three-year-olds. Several ranking sophomores have been named. - - Heading the list is Hasty House Farms Preakness winner, Hasty Road, along with his stablemate Sea O Erin. Hasty Road became the worlds all-time money winning two-year-old last year principally on the strength of his Arlington and Washington Park Futurity victories. The big Ro-man colt won 77,132 in 1953. Challenging the Hasty House star may be Walmac Farms Hasseyampa, who ran third in both the Preakness and Kentucky Derby. Others named include Mr. Prosecutor, Bushers Beam, Roman Spy, Admiral Porter, Tuosix, Pinetum, Revolt, Due De Fer and Jet Action, Maine Chance Farms winner of the Withers. Older horses Will be seen in such rich events as the 60,000 Arlington Handicap June 31 and the 0,000 added Equipoise Mile. The handicap will be run on Arlingtons grass course for the first time this year. It will be the richest race of its kind ever run, and will climax the meetings turf course competition. All the big name stables will be in action again this year along with s:me newcomers and former Chicago favorites who havent been a part of the big summer scene since before World War II. Besides the aforementioned stables, Calumet Farm, Dixiana, Alfred G. Vander-bilt, Reverie Knoll Farms, Eugene Constants, Jr., Hal Price Headley, Alberta Ranches, Ltd., King Ranch, James Cox Brady and Mrs. John D. Hertz will be represented. Still more who have indicated their intentions by early nominations to stakes are A. B. Hancock, Jr., Brookmeade Stable, Duntreath Farm, Andrew J. Crevolin, Darby Dan Stable, Greentree, Llangollen Farm, Mrs. Ada L. Rice, C. V. Whitney, Mrs. John R. H. Thouron, Cain Hoy Stable, H. B. Delman and Louis Lee Haggin. Practically all the top horses in training will be in action during the Arlington meet. Among those also named for the classic, other than Hasty Road and Hasseyampa. are the Kentucky Derby winner Determine, who has a stakes record of ei«jht victories and three seconds for the year, and High Gun, winner of the Belmont Stakes and the Peter Pan Handicap.
