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Belmont Park I — By Chuck1 Connors ■ Daily Double Fans Calendar Hunch . Fifth Day of Fifth Month of 1955 Guggenheims to See Lalun in Oaks BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 5.— Daily Double addicts came up this morning with something new in the line of hunches, an opportunity they will forego in a calendar mathematical succession for the next 11 years. Today you could head your letters with a flock of fives, for it is the fifth day of the fifth mont in the year 1955 and the abbreviation is quite simple 5/5/55. You can be sure there was quite a run on the five digits which were To Challenge and Bounced. The names of the horses added further zest to the situation and, in a way, were looked upon as omens. The Daily Double is a standard feature at most tracks, and gives the punters many an angle in which to play around at a nominal cost. Many play their ages, a combination of the numbers of their year of birth, the final two or first numbers bn automobile plates, house numbers, phone numbers and other varied combinations. . The Daily Double had its origin on one. of the smaller tracks in the Montreal, Que., area, as a stimulant to a sagging mutuel play by Joe Cattarinich. The idea was first introduced bn this side of the border at the now dismantled Jefferson Park in New Orleans in the winter of 1929-30, during the depression. The innoya- " tion grew like wildfire and is now standard equipment on the majority of tracks. The two big dissenters are" Hollywood and Santa Anita in the Los Angeles area, which never catered to the innovation. New York adopted the Daily Double with "the advent of pari-mu-tuels here, but, for war reasons, it was discarded. TheJ pleas for the return of- the system were so insistent that it was later restored to the calendar. Daily Doubles were originally sold in two-dollar denominations, but today, at some tracks, a five-dollar mutuel is obtainable, Hialeah for* instance, and 10 dollars is the* maximum at New York tracks. Back in the days be-forethe mutuels, some tracks offered what was known as a combination book and parlays were computed straight, place and show, and sold. McCreary Departs for Derby -Engagement Jockey Conn McCreary fulfilled his engagements during the afternoon and then left for Louisville, where he will ride in the Derby. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Markey of Los Angeles, she races under the nam de course of Calumet Farm, will.be among-those present for the week end. . . . Walter M. Jeffords reported that some of his horses are here from Maryland and that the main division in charge of Oscar White is due next week from Laurel. . . . Frank Hague of Jersey City was a clubhouse visitors yesterday. . . . Maurice Bernstein from the haute monde of Seventh Avenue came out yesterday and had as his guest I. J. Carp, the St. Louisian. . . . Danny Arnstein deserted the busy traffic marts of the taxicab industry for a looksee at some of his starters during the afternoon. ... Mr. and Mrs. D. K. Ludwig were among those present. They recently completed a Caribbean cruise in their yacht. . . . Jock McCue came down from Stamford, Conn., to do some rooting for brother Jims War Piper in an overnight race. . . *. Vernon G. Cardy came on from Montreal, Que., for a return visit. John C. Clark, who retired as president of Hialeah following a long tenure, came down from his Bingham-ton, N. Y., home on a combined business and pleasure trip. . . . Louis Lee Haggin m. planed in from Lexington to witness the effort of his Hen Party in the Acorn. After the running he planed back to his home and on Saturday will motor up to Louisville for the running of the Derby. . . . Trainer Walter Kelley received additional reinforcements from Kentucky, namely, Blood Test and Chumley. . . . Charlie Johnston of the Monmouth forces was present yesterday distributing stake blanks for that meeting and soliciting entries. He and Barker Seeley will go on to Louisville for the Derby. . . . Harry F. Guggenheim was among those present yesterday and said that he and Mrs. Guggenheim will plane out to Louisville to witness the Kentucky Oaks, in which he will be represented by Lalun. The Guggenheims will remain in Kentucky over the week end and plane back on Monday. Riders Wives to Adorn Downs Scene Whether it was the fashion parade yesterday or Mothers Day on Sunday, which had the strongest influence, Saturday at Churchill Downs, the box section will have a trio of stunning lookers for the camera hounds. The optimism shown by the three New York jockeys, Arcaro, Guerin and McCreary, over the chances of their respective mounts in the big race permeated their respective families and, well, the girls decided that it would be nice to go along and witness the race. Mesdames Arcaro, Guerin and McCreary have visions of a glorious shopping spree, when the race is over, for that 10 per cent to the winning jockey will buy quite . a few chapeaux which the long-legged models displayed on Wednesday. Mothers Day is on Sunday, but the girls can get back in time to relieve the baby sitters and take over, providing that plane and train schedules remain on formula. . . . John McNulty, the chronicler of the Third Avenue bistros, sixth assistant trainer to the A. G. Vanderbilt stable,- a post which he took. over during the regime of Native Dancer, and student* of Daily Doubles made his first appearance of the meeting. . . . Neil Boyle, Belmont Parks track superintendent, is authority for the statement that when work on the new "dream track" is started, he will retire to the life of a country squire, somewhere between New York and St. Petersburg, Fla. ■»•■-* * v
