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i Maryland By Charles Hatton Profile on Heads of New MJC Regime , More High Jinx Planned Preakness Week Needles Still Has His Unbelievers PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 9.— The future of the Maryland Jockey Club and Pimlico race track more or less rests in the hand of three men: Herman Cohen, who is prexy of the club; his brother Ben, who is secretary and treasurer, and Lou Pondfield, the executive director. It was late in 1952 when the Gohens and Pond-field completed a transaction to purchase the track that has been a Baltimore landmark since 1870. Thus "The Old Hilltops" ownership was placed in the hands of natives of the Monumental City. Herman and Ben Cohen attended Baltimore public schools and local commercial colleges. They have invested a profound interest primarily in the building business, but interests are quite diversified. Among their holdings, for instance, are WAAM, Baltimores channel 13 television station, a steel mill and a film processing laboratory. The brothers have built and operate a dozen housing projects in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Mrs: Ben Cohen has been for several years the owner of a successful string of race horses. And Herman Cohens son, Nathan, recently entered the racing picture as an owner. For the laconic Lou Pondfield, working at and with Pimlico is a dream come true. He has seen the Preakness renewals ever since 1918. And he acquired his first race horse, albeit not a notably successful animal, before reaching his nineteenth birthday. As a young man, he used to visit Pimlico almost every week with his bride-to-be, Rose, and he has many pleasant memories of afternoons with a picnic lunch spread on the Pimlico innerfield, as was the traditional custom in the days gone by. Pondfield took a pre-med course at the University of Maryland and also studied at Baltimore City Coliege, graduating from Wake Forrest College. His initial venture into the world of dull care came when he joined his father in the real estate business. He then entered the battery manufacturing business with the Cohens in 34. Pimlicos executive director is the most heavily invested individual stockholder in ThistleDown and Cranwood race tracks in Ohio, and he was very influential in the renaissance of Ohio racing. When the Maryland Jockey Club property be-.came available in 1952, he spearheaded completion of the deal and thus came home to the track which he had felt since boyhood was "his." Much Fanfare to Usher in Big Race The Preakness this year will be celebrated for a full week before its climactic eightieth running on May 19 at this time -mellowed course. The gala day will get underway as early as 9:30 a. m., when the gates are to be opened to the public. The entertainment starts at high noon with a special drill by the famed Hamilton Post American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps. And this will be followed by the five furlongs of the Powder Puff Preakness, in which the entrants will be mounted by local equestriennes. After the flag raising ceremonies, the Pimlco band of 60 pieces will begin its concert from the innerfield. First post is 1:45 p. m., and the Preakness itself is scheduled for 5:45. It will be televised and broadcast nationally by CBS. The mounted patrol of the Baltimore police will form an honor guard for the winner of this piece de resistance. Quite apart from the festivities planned for Saturday, the Preakness eve program wrill be notable for the 0,000 Mi". Fitz Handicap, named for the popular 81-year-old veteran trainer. Ben and Jimmy Jones, Bill Winfrey and others of his contemporaries are expected to be present for this occasion. There is also the revival of the social whirl of the Preakness Ball, a formal dance, scheduled for Preakness eve at the Southern Hotel. Still other functions during Preakness week will be the Dinner Party Purse, with a creaking board in the clubhouse that Thursday night, for the hospitality of owners and trainers participating in the race. Son of Ponder Still Faces Challenge All of this suggests to us that the present Pimlico management plans to perpetuate the holiday atmosphere which has become part and parcel of the Triple Crown. And from reports of box and seat reservations it is succeeding admirably. There is no reason why.the Preakness cannot, with proper direction, become as successful a racing holiday in the East as the Derby is in Louisville. The addition of supplemental nominations this season proves that there still are some people who remain unconvinced Needles can win right back. After all, he is not the most cheerful runner in the world, if the D and H people will-forgive us for pointing, and while he seems unquestionably the one-to-beat there will be plenty of horses around trying. We should not care to bet against him, nor very much on him. It is a question if he will fancy this going quite so much as the pasteboard tracks. We shall be interested to see. Turfana: Pimlico has repainted its stables in a kind of Confederate gray. ... No Regrets traces to the Whitney-bred Palette. . . . Toby B. is pointing for the American Derby on the grass. . . . Colin MacLeod was one vof the opening-day throng. . . . Dandelions enhance the colorfulness of the Pimlico innerfield. . . . Cold Command is going to stud in Washington.
