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" . New England Notebook I By JOE HIRSCH Boost Independence HandicapValue Rockingham Meet About Half Over Forrest High on Trainers Standing ROCKINGHAM PARK, Salem, N. H., June 26. Lou Smith is determined to make his Fourth of July program an at tractive one and has altered the conditions of the Independence Day Handicap to provide for an increased purse of ,500. The holiday will be celebrated a week from Monday with a double-header this year and the full card of sport plus the carnival atmosphere that prevails on these occasions is expected to lure the largest crowd of the season to this picturesque oval just a few miles south of New Hampshires lake region. The twin bill in the past was a traditional feature of the Columbus Day program and was popular with local racing fans. Last years card drew 30,981 and the mutuel handle came to a healthy ,178,063 for the 14 events. These figures may not be equaled this season, but the over-all totals will surpass anything that has been achieved to date. Scheduled for three-year-olds and upward at a mile and a sixteenth, the Independence may draw severals invaders from New York and possibly New Jersey. Both Phil Bieber and Joe W. Brown have been in contact with track officials and entries from these stables are likely. Larry Ellis, the popular New England handicap ace, heads the list of prospective local nominees, and it may be that Irving Gushen and Eddie Anspach wUT go with Soldier Son. With the Red Sox out of town and a break in the weather, the second half of Rockinghams 54-day meeting could get off to a good start. June has proved a poor month for Smith to operate the "Old Rock," and it is doubtful if he will accept the same dates at the winter meeting. However, July has always been a big vacation period in this area and business should pick up next week. As this meeting approaches the halfway "mark, Henry Forrest stands high among the leading trainers on the grounds. Actually, that is not a new situation for the Pbcohontas, Arkansas, conditioner who has ranked among the top four nationally for the past several years and who at this writing is in fifth place with 52 wins to his credit. Just two victories out of third. His present string is not distinguished the older horses just average campaigners, while some of the juveniles show a good dear of promise. One of the best of the youngsters is Shannon Comet, a good-looking son of Shannon IE. Air Comet. The colt has never raced but is smartly bred, has been training well and "Forrest has high hopes for him. Forrest momentarily expects a shipment from W. C. Winters of Lexington, Kentucky, including a pair of three-year-olds by Whirlaway and Alibhai and. a two-year-old by War Relic. His Close but, Who finished fourth in the Derby Trial, pulled up lame in a succeed- I Continued on Page Fifteen New England Notebook By JOE HIRSCII Continued from Page Seven ing race and has been sent to the farm for the summer. Forrest expects him to be ready in the fall and he could do well in the late sophomore events. Forrest began his turf career riding along the fair circuit in the south and then got a trainers license. He worked briefly for the late Col. E. R. Bradley and then went with Jerome B. Respess for 17 seasons until the latters death. While with Respess he conditioned the good horse Energy who beat Wise Counselor as a two-year-old, Alice Blue Gown and Baffling as a sophomore. Since then he has had his own string and several years ago came up with Checker Hall, a winner of the Mexican Derby at the Hipodromo in Mexico City. Forrest races at New Orleans in the winter and then comes north to Keeneland and Hot Springs before his New England campaign. Around the track: Earl E. Wilson, the veteran trainer, is due in from Chicago on Tuesday with a string of four, including Gus Fan, Chance Snow, The Phoenix and a two-year-old filly, Loanelle. Wilson plans to remain through the New England season... George Handy will head for New Jersey late Sunday night to prep his good three-year-old Blessbull for the Select Handicap at Monmouth Park onWednes-day. Handy will leave Blessbull at the Jersey oval, run him back on July 10, and then van back to New England before another sortie to Jersey late next month . . . John Melanson received a shipment of four thoroughbreds from Long Island. . Irving Gushen, national president of the HBPA, who returned to his New England haunts recently after a nation-wide tour, was a visitor today. . .Bob McKeever has taken over the conditioning of Kerrytza from J. M. Lingle. . .Babs W., who went off at 680-to-l yesterday, may have made the stewards list. In his last five starts he finished twelfth by 20, eleventh by 18, . eight by 18, tenth by 17, and ninth by 28.
