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Arlington Park By J. J. Murphy Hail Ruggeri as Good Riding Prospect 23-Year-Old Army Vet Served in Japan Several Horses Return to Best Form ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, III., June 27. James "Jimmie" Ruggeri, an apprentice who-swung into action here Monday, comes from California with a fine reputation. We have a note from our old pal,.. Hy-Schneider, the tall man of the turf writing corps on the West Coast, boosting the stock of the youngster, wlio is riding here for the first time. Schneider says that Ruggeri "may not prove a star, but he is a good tryer always," and that is certainly one item in Ruggeris favor. The lad is with the veteran turfman, Jess Byrd, who leased his contract from Bill- Butcher, a California owner and breeder. Prior to becoming a stable boy, exercise boy and eventually a jockey, Ruggeri, despite his light poundage, drove a heavy trailer truck. That work was too arduous for a lad of his size, and he decided the race track was more for him than the highways. He won his first race at Hollywood Park in June of last year, and a short time later piloted three long-shot winners at Caliente in a single afternoon. Between his truck driving and jockeying chores he took time out to serve with the U. S. Infantry in Korea. Ruggeri, now 23, made sergeant first-class in the Army and later put in some months of service in Japan. During the recent meeting at Hollywood Park he became known as the "long-shot kid," riding a numbei of winners paying large prices. He has ridden about 50 winners and, therefore, has about a like number to go before losing his five-pound allowance. Now Twelfth on List of World Money Winners One of the most surprising things about the first week of racing at Arlington Park was .the return to good form of a number of thoroughbreds having made turf history here in the past. Earlier we wrote of the return to fine form of the two mares, Arab Actress and Bubbley, as well as the filly Alspal. Saturday we witnessed a few more in "comeback" efforts. Chief of those were Mark-Ye-Well and Van Crosby. Mark-Ye-Well, after having been unplaced in 11 starts this year, suddenly flashed his old-time ability to win the Laurance Armour Memorial from a fine field to increase his all-time earnings to 46,460. He is now twelfth on the list of all-time money winners. Van Crosby, who is co-holder of the seven-furlong Arlington Park track mark with Clang, had not started since February. Although he failed to beat Smackover, he ran a fine race. Mark-Ye-Wells effort was a vast improvement over his grass race at Washington Park during the Balmoral session, but perhaps he prefers the Arlington environment. It was here that he won the Classic of 1952. Also flashing the form of which they are capable in the Armour were Wise Margin, Hasseyampa and Mister Black, who were second, third and fourth, respectively. Wise Margin "came to Chicago with a fine reputation, but was beaten off in both stakes starts at Balmoral; Hasseyampa was trimmed over 25 lengths in the Cita-. tion Handicap at that meeting, and Mister Black, who had been sidelined for a spell with an injured leg, came from last place to finish very fast. The Armour resulted in one of the closest and most thrilling finishes seen hereabouts in some time and reflect credit on handicappers Pat Farrell and Lou Eilken, who assigned the weights. Honeys Alibi Returns From ThistleDown W li Ranchs good three-year-old Honeys Alibi is back from ThistleDown, where he finished third in Saturdays Ohio Derby. . . . Bad luck for owner Harvey Fruehauf and trainer A. Lamoreaux when Blue Lem, shipped from Chicago for the, affair, broke his leg during the running of the race and was destroyed. . . . Jockey Arnold Kirkland is serving his first suspension in 10 years. . . . Word from Kentucky that Mrs. Leslie Combs II., wife of the prominent turfman, is in a Lexington hospital Trainer 3. S. Brumfield arrived from New Jersey to saddle Due de Fer in Wednesdays Myrtlewood Handicap. Due de Fer will try to make amends for his poor attempt at Balmoral. . . . Owners Edgar Kitchen and" Doug Davis, Jr., were arrivals from Kentucky. . . . Robert Finkel has purchased the seven-year-old Mr. Boots from Clover Leaf Farm. A crowd of about 200 attended Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Schmidts annual barbecue., at their beautiful North-Shore Ranch following the races Saturday. The Schmidts were all aglow, their horses having won two races during the afternoon. Executive director Benjamin F. Lindheimer has announced that a demonstration of fire fighting will be held in the Arlington Park stable area Saturday morning at 11 a. m. All owners, trainers and those with the interest of the thoroughbred at heart are invited to attend and see for themselves the efforts being made by the Arlington Park management to protect the racing stock Visiting in a group Saturday were Frances Polley, former head of Lincoln Fields; her brother, Bill Polley, of Charleston, S. C; Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Fitzsimmons, of San Antonio, Tex., and Bill Burke, of Chicago. . . . Dave Erb, who put up such a splendid exhibition on .Mark-Ye-Well Saturday, has been engaged to ride Mrs. Henry J. Damms Arab Actress in Wednesdays Myrtlewood, and will also handle Dogoon in Saturdays Warren Wright Memorial. . . Irving Gushen has notified racing secretary Farrell that he is sending his good three-year-old Star Rover Vipt-p for Saturdays Wright Memorial.
