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»;iw»**and Ascot Park J. R. Batty 1 Saturday Is Big Day at Ascot Park Gold Cup to Headline Stellar Card Unique Conditions Drafted for Race ASCOT PARK, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, May 11.— Saturday is the big day here. Although there remains another full week of racing at this plant after this week week end end the the management management expects expects week week end end the the management management expects expects this coming half-holiday program to be its biggest of the meeting. Naturally this possibly means a new high for mutuel handle and attendance. The handle and gate during the current session, compared with previous seasons here, have been phenomenal. The new management is highly pleased and president Horace Adams and general manager Pete ODonnell believe believe they they are are offering offering the the ulti- ulti- believe believe they they are are offering offering the the ulti- ulti- »;iw»**and mate in sport when they present on Saturday the 15th running of the Ascot Gold Cup. The Ascot Gold Cup, a two-mile grind which was conceived as an annual fixture locally in 1951 by Henry Green and Danny Cronin, former heads of this three-quarter mile racing plant, will be contested this season at the same distance, but a change in policy of purse award goes into effect with this renewal. This year the purse offering is ,000. The winner nets ,250 with the runner-up receiving ,000, third 00, and fourth 50. A gold cup trophy goes to the winning owner and 00 to the winning jockey. This edition of the Ascot Gold Cup is rather unique because of the conditions drafted by racing secretary and handicapper Charles Henry. Designed for three-year-olds and older horses, the field for this two-mile endurance test will be comprised of horses which have won a race at one and a half miles or over at this meeting. Horses which finished second at one and a half miles or over locally receive second preference. Limit Field to Twelve Starters The race closed to nominations last Saturday. There is no subscription fee. The names of 43 seasoned route runners were tendered to Henry. Among this group, eight have qualified for first preference by winning at the popular one and nine -sixteenths mile distance. Five on the list have finished second and receive next preference. The field will be limited to 12 starters, with six others listed as "also eligible." In an event of withdrawals from the original field, also eligibles will move in by draw. A handicap, it will be almost as severe a test for Henry to assign weights to please each as it will be for the horses to tote their burdens over the two miles. Weights and the starting field, in post position order, will be announced by Henry on Thursday morning. Past runnings of the Ascot Gold Cup reveal some interesting facts. Last year the winner netted ,400 from a gross purse of 4,000. Some Fun, owned by Beulah Parks president Robert J. Dienst, was the victor. ... In 1942, the Gold Cup was decided at two miles and one-sixteenth. . . . Best time for the two-mile event was hung out in 1951 by Chiffon, who was clocked in 3:25% and is the lightest weighted winner under 105 pounds. . . . Jimmy DeWitt, who is still active in the saddle, now in New England, rode the first winner, Dian, who received only 00. . . . My Boy Tom is the only horse to score twice in the Gold Cup, capturing top prize as a four-year-old in 1946 and two years later he was returned the victor. ... No jockey has scored a double in the event. TV Guide Day Is Friday Friday, May 13, will be TV Guide Day in association with radio station WAKR-TV in Akron, Ohio. Ron Krancer, Cleveland representative of TV Guide and a familiar figure at Ascot and the Cleveland district race tracks, working in conjunction with Eddie Elias, WAKR-TV sportscaster, arranged the date. Trophies will be awarded to the winners of all eight races on the TV Guide Day program. Presentations will be made by Gene Davis, disc jockey; Torry Southwick, Bob Wylie, sports director; Pauline Gosling, trophy room model; Paige Palmer, Eddie Elias, TV sportscaster; Marge Jones, childrens program editor and Chef Lorenzo, who conducts a popular cooking program on TV for WAKR. Anyone know of a furnished house for rent that your correspondent, Mrs. Batty and two images can use during June, July and August. A furnished house located within driving distance of ThistleDown race track would be preferable. . . . Elder "Bud" Fisher, part of the team turning out publicity at Ascot, also tub thumps for Jimmy Lynchs "Death Dodgers" during the summer. The show left Akron to open in Wichita, Kansas this week end. . . . Harold Morrison, a steward here and William Mills, a placing judge, were among the "I told ya so" Swaps followers at Ascot. They were giving the tip around locally for the past month. Both sent congratulatory wires to owner Rex Ellsworth and trainer Mickey Tenney. . . . Saul Silberman and Elmer Vickers, Jr., sent word over from Randall Park that another track they operate is being put to good use during the "off" months. Tropical Park, in Coral Gables, Fla., according to Silberman and Vickers, will be opened for 10 weeks this summer for use as a day camp for 250 Dade County youngsters. Also a big Fourth of July celebration is planned at Tropical Park under the sponsorship of City of Coral Gables, American Legion and Jaycees.
