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► ■ _ , Wheeling Crowds Show Slight Gain Average 3,868 Per Day for 32 Days; Royal Mani Stable And R. L. Belanger Leaders The first of three meetings to be staged at Wheeling Downs this year showed a slight gain in attendance and a comparatively slight drop in mutuel handle. During the 32-day session which came to a close May 30, the daily average attendance was 3,868 as against 3,767 for the corresponding meeting in 1954. On the other hand, the average mutuel handle per day was 93,-196 compared with 94,506 for 1954. Daily average purse distribution was ,681 the total being 77,800 representing a sizable gain over 1954s session when the per diem purse outlay was ,948 or 98,700 for the 25 days. The five-year-old Idle Boy, winner of four races at the meeting, was the top money gleaner with ,340. Private Affair was next in line with ,605 and Sir Gala-! van third with ,430. The Royal Mani Stable took down monetary honors by a substantial margin, its colorbearers winning 0,180 through 11 wins, five seconds and four thirds. Royal Mani was the leader at Wheelings second meeting .last summer and fall, with a 5,025 total for 61 days. Carter Second With ,035 C. B. Carter ranked second this year; with ,035, while R. C. Howard was third with ,505. Ray Belanger, who was the leading rider at Wheeling Downs last year when he rode a to 1 of 169 winners during the 107 days operation at the West Virginia plant, made a runaway affair of this years first session, booting home 45 winners out of 161 mounts for 28 per cent winners. Ray Arduini was second with 28 and N."Ferni-cola third with 22. R. N. Gonzalez and R. C. Howard tied for training honors, each sending out 13 winners. Statistics for the Wheeling Downs meeting follow: April 23 to May 30 — 32 Days Gross distribution 77,800 Net distribution 77,800 Daily average net distribution . .,681.25 Attendance 123,773 Daily average attendance. 3,868 Mutuel handle ,182,273 Daily average mutuel handle 93,196 Leading Money-Winning Owners Owner. . - 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Won. Royal Mani Stable 11 -5 4 0,180 Carter, C.B. 9 5 5 8,035 Howard, R. C. 9 2 3 7,505 Thomas, A. F. 8 3 9 7,270 Simpson, H.H. 6 5 9 6,190 Leading Money-Winning Horses Horse. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Won. Idle Boy 4 0 1 ,340 Private Affair 3 1 0 2,605 SirGalavan 3 11 2,430 FireyAdel 3 0 1 2,350 Pnut Vendor 3 0 1 2,200 Leading Winning Jockeys Jockey. Mts. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Unp. PC. Belanger, R. L. • 161 45 37 20 58 .28 Arduini, R. 139 28 15 28 68 .20 Fernicola,N. 151 22 14 17 98 .15 Hewitt, B. 117 21 16 14 66 .18 Saumell.F. 81 18 3 13 47 .22 Leading Winning Trainers Trainer. Wins. Trainer. Wins. Gonzalez, R. N. 13 McLaughlin, K. 11 Howard, R. C. 13 Payne, S. 10 Martinez, A. 11 The percentage of winning favorites was below normal, as shown in the subjoined tabulation: Number of races 268 Winning favorites 90 Winning second choices 64 Winning outsiders 114 Winners at odds-on 17 Defeated at odds-on - 10 Percentage of winning favorites .34 Dead heats, for win 0
