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Ak-Sar-Ben I By Pat Caudill See Uptrend in Attendance, Wagering Williams, Byers in Hot Jockey Race Akboy May Vie in Juvenile Stakes AK-SAR-BEN, Omaha, Nebr., June 9.— With the Ak-Sar-Ben meeting now at the half-way mark, the 35-day session, which comes to a close with the holiday show a considerable increase in both attendance and mutuel handle. Through Wednesdays program, the 16th day of the meeting, the mutuel handle totaled ,608,204 compared to ,398,334 for the same date of last years session. This represents an increase in business of 09,870 or 3.25 per cent. The total attendance through the first 16 days of this years meeting is 146,618 as against 142,996 for the same period last year. The increase here is 3,622 more fans attending the races or 2.05 per cent. With the exception of only three days, the daily wagering has surpassed the amount handled the previous day a year ago. Local fans are enjoying one of the closest contests for leading rider in the history of Ak-Sar-Ben racing. Jockey Sonny Ray Williams of Electra, Texas, and apprentice Larry Byers, who makes his home at Dolores, Colo., are staging a spirited duel for top honors having exchanged the lead three times in the first 16 days of the meeting. At present, Williams holds a 10 point advantage over young Byers, with jockeys Eddie Burns, Charles Hes, Robert Mundorft, Robert Ford, Thomas Osment and Gerald Gardiner following in the order named. Brown Developing Apprentice Collier Those who witnessed last Tuesdays program saw apprentice William F. Collier guide his contract holder Charles E. Brown, Jr.s, Bernices Girl to victory in the second race and account for his first winning effort on a recognized race track. Young Collier, now 18 years of age, hailed from Keokuk, Iowa, and a perfect little • gentleman, has been carefully brought around by Brown who has had him under his care for little more than a year having met him for the first time during the start of last years meeting here. Permitted by Brown to go postward for the first time during the latter part of the Phoenix, Arizona season, Collier has had several of his mounts in the money and now appears ready to take his stand which could easily see him develop into a top-notch rider. Brown is conditioner of a public stable of 24 head and the Scotts-dale, Arizona, trainer held the contract on jockey Eddie Burns, presently riding here, during his apprenticeship. Briefs: Ak-Sar-Ben had two distinguished guests viewing Wednesdays program in Edward F. Pettis, Omaha business and civic leader and president of Ak-Sar-Ben, attending the races for the first time this year and Jack Purcell of New York, president of the Puett Starting Gate Corporation and the Bahr Starting Gate Corporation, who stayed over also for Thursdays card. Pettis visit to the oval this year has been delayed because of illness. . . . The sixtieth reigning queen of Ak-Sar-Ben, Miss Barbara Loucks, will act as honorary steward at Saturdays annual running of the Queens Plate Handicap. Queen Barbara will also present the traditional silver plate to the winning owner of the featured event. The husky lad seen collecting jockey mounts in the paddock each race is Joe Arenas, who has completed his fourth year in professional football with the San Francisco 49ers. Joe is a resident of Lincoln, Nebraska, played football during his four years of study at Omaha University and has been an employee of Ak-Sar-Ben for the past four years. . . . Twenty-four claims have taken place during the first 16 days of this meeting. The highest price paid for a racer via this route is that given by Fred Wyse when he deposited ,500 to acquire Top Bet. . . ,. General manager J. J. Isaacson announced on Tuesday that all handicaps previously advertised for this meeting with a ,000 purse would be advanced to ,000. This went into effect with the Ak-Sar-Ben Kings Plate Handicap on Wednesdays program. Purchase English Lad for Carey Stable Howard Aney, track electrician for Ak-Sar-Ben for the past three years, was all smiles on Wednesday as he announced the arrival of an eight-pound son, born to his wife on Tuesday at the Mercy Hospital in Coun- . cil Bluffs. The baby, named Howard, Jr., is the Aneys third child, the two older ones each being girls. . . . Acting for E. K. Carey, trainer Earl H. Beezley purchased the four-year-old, English Lad, from Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Kidd for an undisclosed sum. . . . Jockey Delare Hart recently accepted his first mount of the meeting while handling Clark and Herrons Fer Doe. Jockey Joe Rettele may have some kind of a record in the fact he has nine children including two sets of twins. His family resides at Baileyville, Kansas. . . . On a recent visit here from St. Louis, trainer T. M. Holt expressed plans to racing secretary Kenneth W. Mcintosh to ship the good two-year-old, Akboy, owned by Newman Lowe, presently racing at Fairmount Park, here, and it is very likely the youngster will be a starter in the ,000 Juvenile Stakes on Wednesday, June 29. The White Spot Farms Reighoma became a two-time winner at the meeting by defeating a field of Nebraska -breds in Wednesdays final race. Reighoma
