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, ■i-" Chicagoland J. J. — ; By Murphy Swoons Son-Decathlon Clash Awaited Sir Tribal to Seek Balmoral Turf Stakes Brownskin in Spill as He Seeks 50th, Win SPORTSMANS PARK, Cicero, 111., May 11.— There is not much to mention regarding the Balmoral meeting opening aside from that which has already been published lished through through press press releases. releases. The The , lished through through press press releases. releases. The The track has a very efficient publicity staff, headed by Harry Sheer, former Chicago newspaperman, and they have been sending out oodles of "copy." Through their efforts the public has been informed of the best horses on the grounds, the outstanding stables, the coming stakes, the improvements to Washington Park since the last meeting, meeting, as as well well as as statements statements meeting, meeting, as as well well as as statements statements ■i-" from various individuals having the interest of the meeting at heart. While there will be nothing comparable to the match race staged between Nashua and Swaps at the Homewocd course two years ago, we may have a sprint setto or two between a couple of short-distance speedsters — Decathlon and Swoons Son. That should be quite interesting. Then there will be the turf handicaps that always attract considerable interest at this course. Sir Tribal will be among those competing. The gray is a favorite runner hereabouts. Then Hasty House Farm will likely come up with a star grass cutter as they have for the past few seasons. Maybe Grand Canyon, who improved enough to take a stakes in Florida not too long ago, will become a factor on the turf. This racer is an Arnold Winick improvement. Arnold, a Chicago chap who, after establishing himself in his home territory, went to Canada last year and became something of a sensation, might possibly influence his patrons that more lucrative purses are available on this side of the border. - Misfortune Strikes Two Old-Timers A jockey and a horse both nearing the end of quite successful careers figured in a spill at Sportsmans* Park Friday. Rounding the first turn, 11-year-old Brownskin slipped in the going and fell, throwing 51-year-old Claude Hooper. Had Brownskin won this race, it would have spelled finis to his turf career, as owner J. W. Dwyer recently said that the gelding, who has registered 49 times, would be retired when his score reached 50. Brownskin has left the Dyer stable a number of times during his years through being claimed, but has always returned to his old stable via purchase or claim. Hooper, from Windsor, Ont., has been a capable jockey for over a score of years and has figured in spills more serious than this one. X-rays showed no serious injury and he will be back in action soon. Dr. Warren Skinner, state veterinarian, reported this morning that Brownskin suffered leg lacerations and possibly a fractured jaw. Talked with Mrs. Webb Everett, the former Marge Lindheimer, this morning, and she conveyed the information that her primary reason for being in Chicago was to check on_matters pertaining to the installations at Washington Park and Arlington Park. A number of improvements have been added during the past few months, and Mrs. Everett, in the absence of her father, Benjamin A. Lindheimer, in California, wishes to see that everything pertaining to the upkeep of the plants is in perfect order. The arrangement of the racing programs will be in charge of racing secretary Fred Burton, while president Russell Reineman will supervise the entire operation, and executive director Kline Weatherford and assistant director of racing, Robert Epstein, will also be very active in working with him. Stutts on the Job Despite Injury Trainer George Stutts, recently injured when kicked by the filly Aunt Tiens, appeared at the track this morning wearing a body brace. Says that Aunt Tiens has a powerful wallop. Sent him flying through the air with the jolt. The result was a cracked rib. George says the injury pains when it rains, but it has its compensations. He will know now when to enter his mud runners. Stutts, acting for the Ramar Stable, today sold the three-year-old Lejo to Mrs. Josephine Jugus, and Sun Trail to the White Pine Stable. Jockeys Lois Cook and Johnny Adams are expected to arrive Sunday for the Balmoral opening. Adams finished third on the jockey list at the 1956 Balmoral session, while Cook ended up in sixth place. . . . Chuck Parvin, only trainer in our memory with a couple of college degiees, is shipping the horses owned by Coloradan, J. H. Thatcher, to Omaha. . . . Owner William J. Schmidt, who has about 30 horses here, cut down on his stable when he sold Miss Cross and Gov Browning to Olen Sledge. They will be Omaha -bound Sunday. Al Horton bought Rapid Bomb from Alphonse Schwartz, and A. W. Vaughn sold Little Tiger to Reo Weaver. . . . Clerk of scales Frank Miller and jockey room custodian Ronnie Miller are returning to work on the erection of the new Hawthorne clubhouse pending the opening of the harness horse meeting at Sportsmans Park in early June. Incidentally, the progress being made on the Hawthorne structure in the past month has been rather remarkable. A large crew has been working about 12 hours a day to have the structure completed in plenty of time for the September opening. . . . Owner T. McDermott is shipping hi* Continued mi Page Fifty-Nine SPORTSMANS PARK By J. J. MURPHY Continued from Page Five horses to Detroit. . . . Ross Behne. onetime admission ticket seller on Chicago tracks, died yesterday. Was in his seventies. ... It is expected that quite a crowd will visit Washington Park Sunday to look over the many improvements to the plant since the last session. . . . Tom Kelley, who had a successful season with the Mrs. Charles Silvers horses in this territory last season, is now training for J. McCluskey, E. G. Biederman, E. J. and E. Fanning, as well as a few for Mrs. Kelley. . . . John C. Daniel has the Randall Park stakes blanks. . . . Going into the final days racing at Sportsmans Park, Clarence Meaux, a longshot at the beginning of the meeting and who reached the top through riding many longshot winners, was a cinch to cop the jockey honors, having six winning mounts more than his closest rival, Jack Fieselman. The score: Meaux 20, Fieselman 14. Tony Skoronski and the departed Willie Collier were in a tie for third place with 13 each. . . . During the first 12 days of the National Jockey Clubs 13-day regular meeting, exactly 75 more persons were clicked through the turnstiles than at the corresponding session in 1956. The wagering was up about six per cent.
