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Balmoral By J. J. Murphy Racing Trend Improves During Third Week Swoons Son Declines Off Going on Turf Ranking Sophomores to Meet in Chicagoan WASHINGTON PARK, Homewood, 111., June 1. Following is the trend of business as shown by the statistics of the first 17 days of racing under the auspices of the Balmoral Jockey Club as released by the management today. Going into Saturdays program, the pai-i-mutuel- handle was down 3.9 per cent from 1956 and was showing a 78,128 daily average. The attendance was down 5.7 per cent from last year and showing an 11,069 daily average. Now this was considered quite remarkable due to the fact that during the first 12 days of the session unfavorable weather had forced the betting average down to a 14 per cent deficit. And the weather has not been too good this week, although the club came in for a break on Me-mox-ial Day, which was nice, with no threat of rain. However, Saturday dawned gloomy and windy and a heavy fall of moisture Friday evening had turned the track to muddy. As a result, Chicagos chief thoroughbred attraction, Swoons Son, was scxatched from the featured Continental Tux-f Handicap, thereby detracting considerably from the interest in that affair. Trainer Lex Wilson did not wish to take any chances with the colt, who has not had too much expex-ience in grass cutting and has not in the past shown any particular liking for soft tracks. Honeymoon Cap on Midweek Program However, the weather is almost certaixi to break favorably sooner or later and it could be that the final two weeks of racing here would boom the business and attendance to a par or perhaps over that of last year. Coming up as feature races next week are the Honeymoon Handicap for fillies and mares at seven furlongs, to be run Wednesday, and the Chicagoan, this meetings stellar attxaction for three-year-olds, to be decided Saturday. Among the popular sophomores expected to race in the Chicagoan and thereby acquire national recognition in their class if successful are Mister Jive, winner of the Gotham Stakes early in the Jamaica meeting; Manteau, winner of last Wednesdays Domino Stakes; Jet Colonel, who twice conquered last years juvenile champion, Barbizon, in Florida during the winter, and several others who might be capable of surprising. In the Honeymoon some of the more prominent possibilities are the South American Estacion, who trimmed Amoret, Pucker Up and other topline distaff runnexs in the Suwannee River Handicap at Gulfstream, Supreme Joy, Euphony, Dales Delight, and Lady Swox-ds. Jockey Charlie Burr, the leading rider here, has given first call on his services to trainer Tom W. Kelley for the remainder of the meeting. Burr, always a good saddlesmith since he topped the American riding list in 1951, has excelled at this session. . . . Another prominent rider who made one of his infrequent appearances in the Middle West, but was not as fortunate as Buxt in obtaining good mounts, has departed for the East. That is Nick Shuk, who left Saturday. . . . Arthur Craig, a real veteran of the saddle, has been-granted a license to ride here. Craig was a top rider in Chicago in the early- forties, winning the Arlington Handicap in 1941 with Equifox. He later retired from the saddle and for several seasons was chief exercise boy for the late Howard Wells. And while on the subject of saddle veterans, it looked like old-timers day here Friday. The combined ages of six riders winning seven of the events was 204 years, and the average age 34. Ray Camp, who steered two winnex-s, is 38; Doug Dodson, 36; Tony Skoronski, 35; Jack Skelly, 34; Dave Erb, 34 and Ken Church, 2?! The only "kid" to have a winner on that day was Larry Gilligan, who is 2Q. . . . Mrs. Hariy Trotseks two-year-old filly, Ethel-Rxta, came out of her last race with bucked shins and it is likely that her next stakes engagement will be in the Arlington Lassie. . . . Walter Haljean has taken over the engagement book of jockev Jack Skelly. Hope to Save Injured Eljay Traixier Milton Reiser left for his home in Louis-viile for a visit and his horses are being handled by his son, Stanley. . . . Doug Davis Jr. came in from River Downs to saddle Bernburgoo in Saturdays Continental Handicap. . . . Mrs. Tommy Trotter and her three children are arrivals from Florida. . . . Although every effort will be made to save him, a former handicap star probably reached the end of the trail Friday when eight-year-old- Eljay, owned by William J. Schmidt broke down while leading the field in the second race Schmidt acquired Eljay as a cripple a couple of yeaxs ago, brought him back to win his only start last season then took him to the farm to again be patched up Eljay was making his second start of the yeai. William H. Johnson got in from Florida to be on hand for the opening of the harness horse meeting at Sportsmans Park Monday evening. . . . Barry Whitehead took time out from his duties with the Society of North American Racing Officials to pass out a few stakes books for Del Mar. . . . Some musicians on hand Continued on Paga Forty-Thru I BALMORAL By J. J. MURPHY Continued from Page Five the other day bet a Daily Double from With Music to Rudys Valley, but the combination failed to cut a winning tune. . . . Two riders here, John Heckmann and Har-rel Bolin, are among the first 15 jockeys in the percentage standings for the year issued recently. . . . The first to congratulate Jack Johnston following Good Gestures win Friday was commissioner Frank Studlow, who never follows" an empty wagon.
