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• Name Eric Blind Starter For Randall Park Season Veteran Bill Schamerhorn May Be Given Other Official Post CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 11.— Appointment - of Eric Blind as starter for the 44-day - Randall Park race meeting opening g July 19 was announced today by general il manager Edwin C. Moon. Widely regarded d as one of the top men in the business today. - Blind succeeds the veteran Bill Schamerhorn - who will probably be offered another post in the Randall Park official il family. j A native of Vancouver, B. C, the 49- •- year-old Blind will be making his debut at it . . Randall Park, although he is well known n to Cleveland racing fans. He has served as starter at ThistleDown, Cranwood and d | 1 Ascot Park, and is known for the swiftness 5S with which he achieves line breaks from n the gate. , j Eric is a member of a racing family. His is father, W. R. Blind, was an owner and j j trainer of thoroughbreds. His brother Eddie is another of the nations foremost starters, s, I and along with Roy "Boots" Dickerson, a. Continued on Page Forty -Six Name Eric Blind Starter For Randall Park Season Continued from Page Three played a major role in the development of Eric as a topnotch starter. A former rider. Blind became part of racings fabric at the age of 14 when his father turned his contract over to Dave Elander. As a jockey, Eric won his first race at Tijuana. In the fall of 1923, the young reinsman had attracted national attention and the late Col. Edward R. Bradley purchased his contract for ,000. Blinds performances in the green and white silks of the master of Idle Hour completely justified the expenditure. In 1926 Eric won the Louisiana and Latonia Derbys with Bagenbaggage and then finished second to Bubbling Over in the Kentucky Derby. A year later increasing weight forced Blind to abandon the saddle and~he worked as an exercise boy and stable foreman until 1931 when he became an assistant to Dick-erson. He remained a member of Dicker-sons crew until 1947 when he joined his brother Eddie in Maryland and New Jersey. Blinds first chance to spring a starting gate came at Narragansett in 1948 and since then he has started at Omaha, Bel Air, Scarborough Downs and the Aiken. S. C, trials. He also serves as an official at Fair Grounds in New Orleans where he maintains his home. With the Randall Park meeting sandwiched between his assignments at Thistle-Down and Cranwood, Blind will spend the entire summer in the Cleveland area.
