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Fairmount Inaugurates Southern Illinois Sport Ten Contest Feature on First Of 60 Programs to Be Offered By J. J. HAHN Staff Correspondent/ FAIRMOUNT PARK. Collinsville. 111.. May 5. — Southern Illinois race-hungry fans who have not had an opportunity to witness their favorite sport since last October will get their first glimpse of the 1955 racing picture here Friday night with the opening of the 60-program meeting of the Fairmount Park Jockey Club. In addition to the local 60 nights and day cards, there will be a like number at nearby Cahokia Downs which offered its first meeting last fall. Heading the opening night racing bell is the five and one-half furlongs Inaugural Purse in which a field of 10 were named this morning. Racing secretary John J. Klucina was unimpressed at the number of probable starters as he had some 20-odd sprinters from which to draw. There could be some excuse though, as the St. Continued on Page Fortf-Two Fairmount Inaugurates Southern Illinois Sport Ten Contest Feature on First Of 60 Programs to Be Offered Continued from Page One Louis Handicap comes up for decision Sat- urday night and some of the more favored ones who were not eligible for the Inaugural are being reserved for that ,500 purse. Among the 10 entered in the feature are Fern Valley Farms Beeston, Felix J. De-I Marys Flitting Rod, Hard Sis, owned by the partnership of E. Frisse and W. Jones, Galway Boy, the property of J. and S. Hanover, John Zitniks Luciete, Floyd Whitings Eternal Sam, Gus Fan, who sports the silks of J. and G. Hejna, All Tilly from the Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Holman barn, J. W. Norwines Mister Plucky, and Bold Spot, who races in the silks of Homer E. and Roy Smith. Under the conditions of the race Beeston, the improved son of Bluebeard who was racing here last season with the lowly platers, is assigned top "weight of 114 pounds, giving his opposition from three to 10 pounds. Most of the others matched against the Fern Valley Farm colorbearer are well-known in this vicinity and expected to draw much support are Hard Sis, Eternal Sam, All Tilly and Bold Spot. Luciete is a newcomer to this area. Her owner, John Zitnik raced a formidable stable here some 10 or more years ago and after being out of the sport for three or four years is steadily assembling another formidable establishment. An allowance race for three-year-olds and at six furlongs was in the book of conditions and was to serve as the secondary but there were so few entries received for the event racing secretary Klucina was forced to call off the dash. Instead, three-year-olds "and upward will fill that position on the program and it brings together Pride of Judea, Mere Bull, Coral Princess, Southern Rio, Bea Ayer, Go Jeep Go and Predict. Only one of the nine races will be contested over a distance of ground and it is the ninth in which 12 are entered to go one mile and a sixteenth. General manager Ray C. Bennigsen is making preparations to entertain some 10,000 racing fans.
