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■ »±-kv_™ Balmoral I By J. J. Murphy Pending Legislation Assures Nine Races Daily Propose Four for lllinois-Breds at Each Meet Fog Obscures Running oT Opening-Day Races WASHINGTON PARK, Homewood. 111., May 14 — Now that Chicago tracks have built up to three nine-race programs each week, with the proceeds going to varous varous funds funds and and charitable charitable or- ■ varous varous funds funds and and charitable charitable or- organizations, it appears as if we are about to have a series of charity events for the horses themselves. And its about time. The horses do all the work. We hope they get some extra oats out of it, but feel that humans will benefit most. The -Irons are on the fire down in the state capitol at Springfield to put through a bill calling for nine races every day on on Illinois Illinois tracks. tracks. This This bill, bill, a a por- por- on on Illinois Illinois tracks. tracks. This This bill, bill, a a por- por- »±-kv_™ tion of which is titled the Fund for Illinois Thoroughbreds, provides for 54 races a week instead of the present 51, and would mean a total of 87 extra races a season for the Chicago area. A total of 00,000 is being requested for the fund. At present money received by the Illinois Racing Board from license fees, admission taxes, and other sources, generally total about ,000,000 annually. The bill calls for one-half of that money to be used by the board as purses for thoroughbreds conceived, foaled and weaned in Illinois. It is proposed that four races at each meeting be staged for homebreds. The states revenue will not suffer through the transference of that half -million to the fund for Illinois-breds. Rather, it will be increased through the nine-race programs every day. All this information and much more is contined in a rather bulky press release from the Illinois Racing Board. Bill Seeks Several Other Amendments A number of other minor changes to the racing rules in the State of Illinois are embodied in the six-page pamphlet issued by the Illinois Racing Board. For instance, the bill titled "Senate Bill 602" and introduced by senators Muhleman, Bidwill and Drach would have a section amended to have only one board member conduct hearings in the event of the absence of the two other members, amends another to give the board power to impose penalties, another to give the board power to temporarily reduce daily average minimum purses and stakes, if general economic conditions so require, another to empower the board to permit a licensee to run its race meeting at a track other than that of the licensee, providing that track is within 100 miles of the track possessed by the licensee that takes care of Lincoln Fields switch to Washington Park, and several other of minor importance, but the Fund for Illinois Thoroughbreds is the big one. The following paragraph in the report is quite interesting statistically. It reads: "Thoroughbred breeding in the United States ranks high among the countrys leading industries; yet the State of Illinois has less than 4 per cent of the thoroughbred breeding farms now in operation. For example, compared to 64 farms in Illinois, Calif orina has 162, Kentucky 98, and even Penn-slyvania which does not have legalized racing* 61." The question arises, if Illinois has so few breeding farms, where are they going to get the Illinois-breds to fill those races? However, it looks from here as if. we aie going to get those nine races every day. Patrons in attendance at Balmorals opening day must have been indeed frustrated when they could only see about half the races, due to the heavy fog. It was sore of eerie to hear a bell ring in the distance as the starting gates were released and then dead silence until some shadowy figures, like wraiths, emerged from the mist about the sixteenth pole. Fortunately, the fans could glimpse the outline of six horses running in the featured Coronet Stakes, but the silks were so mud-bespattered and the visibility so poor that it was difficult to determine who they were. And to make matters more confusing, the county fair parades were back. In most instances, no attempt was made to have the horses pass in review in post position order. In some in-tances, it was difficult to distinguish the runners from the stable ponies. It was the exception, rather than the rule, when a horse went postward without a pony and the ponies seemed always to manage to be on the outside of the runner so the fan could not see the saddlecloth numbers. Coronet Victress a Real Bargain Lori-El ran a big race in winning the Coronet and again established herself as one of the bargain purchases of recent years. She cost 00 as a yearling and has now earned 3,225. However, she has some distance to go before she catches up with Alsab. a Chicago favorite of yesteryear, who was also purchased for 00 and earned over 50,000. Lori-El, owned by Mike Soto and Al Berke, a couple of Chicagoans who are in the diamond and jewelry business, has now won 10 of her 16 starts. Soto, who also trains the miss, has stated that her next engagement here may be in the Honeymoon Handicap on June 5. She will be required to meet older fillies and mares in that. Should she skip the Honeymoon, she may be sent to Belmont Park for the Acorn Stakes, which is for three-year-old fillies, exclusively. Jack R. Johnston, vice-president of Sportsmans Park and now a horse owner, was a visitor for the opening. Is so enthused over the showings made by Good Gesture that he is planning on purchasing several C— ,W m P..* LLfL BALMORAL By J. J. MURPHY I Continued from Page Five other racers to run in upper claiming or allowance races. . . . Frank J. Baker, who a couple of years ago was assistant trainer to the late Howard Wells, and later conditioned thorounghbreds for other stables, is in from Lexington. Has no runners in his care at present. . . . Graham Smith, vice-president of Arlington Park, an opening-day visitor. . . . Frank Ashley, Hawthorne announcer, was on hand. Came from his home in Hot Springs. . . . Warren Brown, Chicago sports columnist, and Tom Sheehan, the New York Giant scout, looking them over. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Harold Genter. of Minneapolis, were present to see Our Holiday click on the inaugural program. Trainer Howard Hoffman is here with 11 head for Louis Lee Haggin II., of Lexington. . . . Geoige Alexandra, who has 23 in charge for Emil Denemark, has taken over the training of Petes Folly for Patricia Hoban. . . . Telegrapher Paul James, who had a brief ring career in his younger days, shook the hand of a champon for the first time when he met Jack Dempsey. . . . Pulled a boo boo recently when we stated that Yorkie McLeod was bringing some horses here. It was Colin MacLeod Jr., who has 20 in his care. . . . Trainer J. J. Greely Jr. has 27 in his care for Walmac Farm, including The Warrior, who turned in a good trial this morning. . . . Dependable John Heckmann got off to a good start in riding three winners on opening day.
