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Sportsmans Park I By J J Murphy Hawthorne Facilities Utilized at Local Meet Australians Rippon and Dyer Visiting r Here Bert Woolf Top Turf Writer Down Under UnderSPORTSMANS SPORTSMANS PARK Cicero 111 May 1 Gazing from the Sportsmans Park press box across the track trying to drum up something for a yarn is about as inspirational as looking at your ¬ self in a mirror If you are not a narcissist there is not much kick to it At Santa Anita now a fellow can look out and see the majestic snowcovered Sierra Madres mountains as the western pub ¬ licity boys put it at Jamaica one can dream of faroff places in viewing planes taking off from Idlewild for distant lands But about all one can see from atop fvio Knifemans Park grandstand is another race track Hawthorne At that it is a source of comfort to see another race track When we see race tracks we know that racing is secure and thats for us And looking at the Hawthorne water tank with the name spelled out in sixfoot high letters we recall that this year managing director Robert Carey is offer ¬ ing 100000 for the Hawthorne Gold Cup That is an increase of 25000 Mr Carey certainly cannot be termed chicken Fields in the Gold Cup for the past few seasons have not warranted such expenditure Could possibly have gotten the same caliber of horses for 50000 Hawthorne being so close to Sportsmans Park is a great convenience for both horsemen and racegoing public The parking space at the historic course is available to autoists for a small fee and is kept in perfect condition by superintendent Chuck Miller The overflow of runners participating at Sportsmans Park is stabled in the Hawthorne barns and they have the use of the track for exercising during the morning hours Knew we would come up with something if we kept looking at that Hawthorne grandstand long enoughMelbourne enough Melbourne Hotel Men Also Turf Patrons PatronsTwo Two Australian visitors Ted Rippon and Jack Dyer of Melbourne being shown about the plant by Ike Bassett who made their acquaintance on his trip to the Antipodes with Johnny Adams last winter Rippon and Dyer are both hotel owners and race a few horses They were very much interested in the doings of Phar Lap when he was in this country and are friendly with Maurice McCarten the noted Aussie trainer who visited in Chicago last year Gave us news of our old friend Bert Woolf who visited this country with Phar Lap and who now writing under the pen name of Cardigan is regarded as Australias top turf correspondent Dyer is a former great footballer whose name is respected in his homeland as are those of Red Grange and Babe Ruth in the United States Rippon visited here in 1951 while this is Dyers first trip It develops that Silver State in stumbling leaving the gate in last Saturdays Silver Anniversary Handi ¬ cap bowed so low that he bruised his nose on the ground He will be okay to race this week end Rex Aubrey who recently got in from Florida has taken over the training of the Oldehove and Regnaye Stable horses from Nick Nickl Apprentice Dick Lidberg has been granted a 60day extension on his fivepound allowance due to the fact that he was side ¬ lined for that length of time last summer because of a spill The boy won his first race at Centennial Park last July 16 therefore he has until midSeptember to go with the bug Jockey Wayne Chambers packed his belongings Sunday and departed for St Louis He will ride at Fairmount Park ParkBassett Bassett Making the Rounds Again AgainIke Ike Bassett left on a short trip to St Louis and Hamilton Ohio Recently heard from Chappie Cullen who was quite a hot shot rider in the old days of those famous Canadian half mile tracks Hillcrest Dufferin and Delorimier Parks Chappie is now of all things a policeman at an industrial plant in Hamilton Ont and still retains his interest in the turf A number of years ago one of his coworkers requested that Chappie select a few winners for him so Chappie gave him twelve in a row Whats he doing being a policeman if he can pick winners like that Cullen rode in Eastern Canada about trie same time as Dick Watts Cecil Knight and others who became noted traineis traineisHatation Hatation a twoyearold gelding by Education owned by Fred W Hooper recently died of pneumonia Charles Miller Jr son of the Hawthorne track superintendent is in the U S Marines and is assigned to the U S S ShangriLa Schooling of horses is now under way at Washington Park where the Bal ¬ moral meeting will open May 14 The hours are 7 am to 9 ajn and Bill Simpson is in charge Souvenir key rings and money clips passed out last Saturday in the form of a parimutuel ticket bore number 7 and a horse carrying that saddlecloth won the opening event and paid 600 Myron Smith will ship the horses in his charge to Detroit at the conclusion of this session Trainer Alex Johnston is anxious to get in touch with trainer Howard McKissick Has important importantnews news for him The horses of Marvia E Affeld Elgin ElginHI HI owner got ifl from Florida In the shipment were Blunt Par Boy Blue Showers Saltair Triple Jet Drill Stem Maretazo and Closing
