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Sportsmans Park By J. J. Murphy ■ Spring Meet Successful Despite Weather Krumrey Keeps Race Strip in Good Shape Coronet Stakes Tops Opener at Balmoral SPORTSMANS PARK, Cicero, 111., May 10.— The first meeting of the long Chicago season comes to an end here Saturday when this course closes its gates to running horses and patrons of the thoroughbred until autumn. Despite generally adverse weather conditions, this session has been a successful one, with pari-mutuel wagering showing a definite increase over the corresponding semester of 1956. Rain, which caused the management and racing secretary Robert P. McAuliffe many headaches during the first ten days, again threatened to put a damper on the doings for the close, but McAuliffe was relieved when trainers entered their horses generously for get-away day. The two handicaps filled very well, indeed, but McAuliffe was just a wee bit disappointed in that his dream of all allowance and handicap events for the finale failed to materialize. The racing secretary was loud in his praise of track superintendent Ed Krumery and his crew for overcoming a tremendous handicap and whipping the racing strip into shape for a few afternoons of fast track sport, at least. The rain proved one thing: It brought out the fact that the Sportsmans Park course is just as safe as other courses in this vicinity. Th§re were only a few, unavoidable, spilly and no jockeys were seriously injured. Riders gained confidence as the meeting progressed and there was little pulling up for safetys sake. All in all the National Jockey Club has had a most satisfactory session and the Chicago American Charity Fund profited handsomely from the proceeds of the first six days. Now the scene shifts to Washington Park where the Balmoral Jockey Club meeting, with Russell L. Reine-man as president and Ben Lindheimers crew in charge of the racing, starts Monday. Lindheimer will not be among those present, he having left for California, but his daughter. Mrs. Webb Everett, will be, we understand, on the grounds in advisory capacity. Many thoroughbreds not having been seen in action during the Sportsmans Park session, will be running, among them those sterling racing brothers of last year-Swoons Son and Dogoon. They arrived from Churchill • Downs this morning in charge of trainer A. G. "Lex" Wilson. During the 1956 Balmoral session, that pair were chiefly responsible for their owner. E. Gay Drake, topping the list of money-winning owners at the meeting. Swoons Son was second to Charles Fritz Sir Tribal as the leading money-winning horse. The opening days feature of the new meeting will be the Coronet Stakes, for three -year -old fillies. It will be having its third running. It was won last year by Claiborne Farms Doubledogdare, who was later named the champion three-year-old filly of the year. Insouciant, owned by Dr. Eslie Asbury, won the initial running in 1955. It is estimated that Balmoral will draw about 350 horses from Sportsmans Park to augment those having arrived or due to arrive from Churchill Downs, Keene-land. and some other courses. Many more will be transferred from Kentucky when the Churchill Downs session closes one week from tomorrow. With a break in the weather and the cooperation of the horsemen, racing secretary Fred Burton should experience little difficulty in arranging interesting programs. He will have approximately 750 thoroughbreds available for the commencement. Entries for Balmorals opening day will be taken at both Washington Park and Sportsmans Park on Saturday morning. . . . Many horsemen will follow the procedure of previous years in sending their runners to racing plants in other sections of the Midwest, with Hazel Park, at Detroit, drawing the majority. Omaha and ThistleDown will also receive a goodly quota. Pat Farrell. racing secretary at ThistleDown, was here this morning contacting trainers leaving for the Ohio course. He states that the ThistleDown racing strip is in excellent shape. The efficient Farrell served a couple of seasons as racing secretary at Arlington and Washington Parks and therefore is well acquainted with horsemen in this area. . . . There will be a slight increase in admission price at the Balmoral meeting this year. .50 for clubhouse and .50 for grandstand. Washington Park, with the Illinois Central electrified line transporting patrons directly to the clubhouse gate, has the best transportation facilities of any track in the Chicago area for those without automobiles. Also parking space aplenty for those with cars. A division of the powerful Hasty House Farms stable, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Allie Reuben, of Toledo, checked into Washington Park this morning. Hasty House wound up as the third leading money-winning owners at the meeting last year. They also placed two. Sea O Erin and Summer Solstice, on the list of the first six money-winning horses, and during the meeting acquired an interest in the filly Delamar, who was also on that list. . . . Jockey Jack Fieselman is "closing fast" in the riders race at Sportsmans. Had three winners Continued on Page Forty -Sight I r 1 r r e 1 I ] c i e c j t , * r l J . | , . SPORTSMANS PARK I By J. J. MURPHY Continued from Page Five Thursday. We were tipped off to Fiesel-mans riding ability early in the Oaklawn meeting by Earl Beezley, who has a good eye for a jockey and firmly believed at the outset of the Sportsmans session that the race for the honors would be between him and Willie Collier, who was top lad until he drew a suspension. Going into Fridays program. Fieselman and Collier were in a tie for second place. Clarence Meaux was well out in front with a margin of six successful mounts. The lightweight jockey, Dudley Vanden-borre, will leave for Detroit Sunday. . . . Trainer L. O. Lane will ship the thoroughbreds owned by W. D. and Guy Rorick to Omaha. . . . E. E. Wilson is sending Chance Snow, longshot winner of two races here, to Cahokia Downs. . . . Trainer Alex Johnston is visiting from New Orleans Three horses trained by Roy Slomer arrived from Florida. . . . Trainer R. E. Wingfield checked in with those in his public stable. . . Marion VanBerg sold Madge P. to Roy T. McDonnell this morning. . . . Ike Bassett left for Beulah Park to take in Saturdays program at that point. . . . Mrs. Rex Aubrey, wife of the well known trainer, was recently released from a Miami hospital. . . The horses owned by Wallace Strong will head for Omaha. . . . Trainer Ken Kepler returned from Torrington. Wyo. . . Veteran timer Bill Cunningham checked in from Kentucky. .
