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On the Wire By Hugh J. McGuire Move to Arlington Quickly Accomplished New Spring Operation Beneficial to All Primer Stakes for Juveniles Opens Meet WASHINGTON PARK, Homewood, 111., June 18. The switch this year of the racing locale in the Chicago area from this course to Arlington Park was accom- pushed with less material cuiier-ence in basic operations than in previous seasons. This was due, of course, to the initial running of the Balmoral meeting at Washington Park under the management of the Lindheimer staff and the co-ordination of the racing programs. When one considers the many benefits that have accrued to all concerned through the adoption by Balmoral of the advanced methods of uni fied operations, there is little room for anything but optimism for the future of the triple alliance of Balmoral, Arlington and Washington. Leaving the exact financial figures to the statisticians fc the moment, the mutuel handle here has soared materially over that of Lincoln Fields despite a great deal of bad weather, purse distribution to horsemen has been substantially increased, and the coffers of the State of Illinois have bulged accordingly. Several Eastern Stables Recent Arrivals Arlington swings into action with considerable force with the offering of the Primer Stakes on its opening card, and this is to be followed by a series of 14 added-money events for various age and class divisions. The Primer brings together quite a representative group of -youngsters to get the meeting under way in a setting of keen rivalry that may do something to clarify to a degree the racing prowess of the youngsters in this sector. The arrival of several stables from the East for the Arlington meeting has done a great deal to bolster contention in all divisions, while better weather conditions will find in action many horses who stabled at Washington Park, "but who were reserved either for additional training or because of weather and track conditions. The Arlington opening recalls some of the past history of the North Side .plant and its tremendous contribution to the elevation of the sport in this area. It is remembered that in 1926 the late Laurance Armour became the first Chicagoan to invest in Arlington Park at the invitation of H. D. "Curly" Brown. Another who displayed interest early in Arlington was the late Warren Wright. Stakes honoring the memories of Armour and Wright are to be offered on the first and second Saturdays of the meeting. The list of improvements and advances that have taken place are too numerous to mention here, but some idea of the . gigantic strides that have been made can be gleaned from a report from Arlington in 1941 when Benjamin F. Lindheimer took control. An excerpt from a story dealing with the "contrast in Arlington Park operations when Lindheimer gained control" stated rather proudly, "Minimum purses were boosted to ,000." The rule of the Illinois Racing Board then called for a daily average minimum purse distribution of ,800 in counties with a population of . 250,000 or more. This rule may still be in effect, but at Arlington last year the gross daily average distribution was 5,180, while that at Washington Park reached 5,368. Opening day at Arlington was October 13, 1927, after a three-day postponement to complete work on the plant. There were more than 500 boxes sold at 00, half the usual fee, and the receipts went to charity. Among the first boxholders were Mrs. Barrett Wendell, Vice-President of the United States .and Mrs. Charles Dawes, the Laurance H. Armours, John J. . Mitchells, William Wrigleys, Gordon Strongs, Eames MacVeagh, Augustus and Stuyvesant Peabody, Melvin Taylors, E. J. Lehmanns, Nicholas Longworth and others. Mrs. Irene Castle McLaughlin, wife of Major Frederic McLaughlin, first president of Arlington, was hostess at the Turf and Field Club. So much for the past. Change Chicagoan Conditions Next Year Commenting on the large field entered for the first running of the Chicagoan on Saturday, racing secretary Pat Farrell explained that there would probably be a change of conditions for this race in the future. The Chicagoan was designed rather hurriedly because of lack of time for the Balmoral meeting, and it could not be foreseen just what reception it would receive. Because of the time element, it was obvious that horses that competed in the Belmont at a mile and a half would be unlikely to seek honors in the Chicagoan, and it was decided to make the race at a mile to appeal to those three-year-olds unsuited to the Belmont distance. The large field included several who could be conceded but slight chance, and Farrell would include a clause calling for a fee to pass the entry box as well as to start in the hope of eliminating from the entries those deemed to be misplaced. Weight allowances are also in need of revision, as this years running saw all entrants get into the race under 114 pounds. To have been penalized with additional weight, a candidate would have to have been a winner of two races of 00,000, which would have applied to the winners of such races as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont. It can be expected that the conditions for next years Chicagoan will be governed by experience gained from its initial running.
