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Gardenia Reaching Near Record Gross Third Eligibility Payments On Both Filly Feature and Garden State Due July 15 CAMDEN, N. J., June 29. With 51 advance third payments already recorded, the Gardenia, Garden State Parks new event for two-year-old thoroughbred fillies, already is assured as the richest race ever contested for juveniles of the distaff side. Although the payments are not due until July 15, the inaugural running of the new stakes has aroused much enthusiasm among horsemen and the purse already has zoomed above the 00,000 mark. Four hundred and nine two-year-old fillies are eligible for the race going into the third payment. "When the race was announced, horsemen throughout the country assured us that it -would meet with a tremendous response because of the bearing it would have on the breeding industry," Walter H. Donovan, executive vice president of the Garden State Racing Association, said today, "and the manner in which they are responding indicates the down-to-earth interest among breeders and owners in this type of race. Payments Guarantee Record Purse The value of the Gardenia, including the 0,000 added by the racing association, reached 5,050 after the seconcl eligibility payment. The 51 third payments already received guarantees a- minimum of 01,425, At least 200 more of the eligibles are expected to meet the third obligation payment of 25 each. This conservative estimate, Donovan pointed out, would make the pre-race value 26,425,, with additional entry and starting payments of 00 each still to be accounted for. The Gardenia is a companion race to The Garden State, richest race in the world, which will be run at the Camden course on Saturday, October 22. The Garden State was worth 69,965 when won by Mrs. John W. Galbreaths Summer Tan last year. Third payments for The Garden State also are due on July 15. Currently, 532 two-year-olds are eligible for the third running of this race. Third payments for each eligible are 50, with additional entry and starting fees of ,000 each. Current value of The Garden State is 78,120.
