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: " Ascot Pork Meet Pronounced Success Despite Bad Weather ; Four Programs Cancelled; Daily Average Mutuel Play Increases 0,103 Over 56 By Staff Correspondent Despite inclement weather that resulted in several cancellations, the Ascot Park meeting which came to a close Monday was a pronounced success. The session, originally scheduled for 44 days, actually operated only 41 days. The programs of April 8, 9 and 10 were canceled due to heavy snowstorms which made roads to the track inaccessible and played havoc with the racing strip. Then on Saturday, April 13, after five races were run, the remainder of the card had to be canceled and the next racing day, Monday, April 15, also was dark. In order to partially make up for these dark days, the Ohio State Racing Commission permitted operation of the track on Monday, May 27, originally a dark day on the Ohio calendar and also approved the running of several extra races during the late stages of the meeting. The meeting opened on Friday, April 5, with a heavy rain falling in the afternoon. Then for the first Saturday of the session, April 6, .rain and snow both fell, cutting seriously into attendance and mutuel handle. The cancellations followed the next wedk. Increase of 0,103 Daily Cleveland and Akron area fans patronized Ascot Park racing so well that the meeting wound up with a daily average mutuel play of 33,153, an increase" of 0,103 per. day over the corresponding meeting in 1956 Daily Racing Form sta- , stistics show. Attendance likewise held up remarkably well, the per diem turnstile count being 5,148, only 33 per day less than in 1956. Saturday, May 18, was the best day of the meeting from a wagering standpoint, with 28,496 bet by the 9,073 patrons on hand. The largest attendance of the session I was recorded on April 20 when 9,233 patrons witnessed the sport. The Ascot Gold Cup carryjng a purse of 0,000 and over the two miles distance, was the feature attraction of the meeting and Potate Chip Farms Harry Husman was returned the winner and received a ,500 purse. Five other handicaps also were offered and no one horse won more than one of these events. Harry Husman, a four - year - old by Hunters Moon rv. Pomventure, named for the owner of Potato Chip Farm, was the leading money-winning horse with 0,050. He won two other races in addition to the Gold Cup and finished second once. Royal Dasher, victorious in the Akron Handicap, ranked second with ,950, followed by Henrob, a four-time winner at the session, with ,500. T. Gammon was the leading owner, his colorbearers earning 5,925. They won 14 races, had 11 seconds and seven thirds. Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell ranked second with 2,475 and Potato Chip Farm was third with 1,725. Owen Headley led the riders with 45 winners, 10 more than Buck Thornburg, while Guy Smithson was third with 33. C. A. Cranford and T. Gammon tied for training honors with 14 winners-apiece. The combination of Jittery Jill and Jubilate returned the largest Daily Double of the meeting, 12.60, when they triumphed on May 22. Ascot Park statistics follow: April 5 to May 2741 Days Gross distribution 23,800 Net distribution 23,800 Daily average net distribution 2,775.61 Attendance 211,056 Daily average attendance 5,148 Mutuel handle 3,659,293 Daily average mutuel handle 33,153 I Leading Money-Winning Owners Owner. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Won. Gammon, T. 14-11 7 5,925 Maxwell, Mr. andMrs. P. 11 I n 12,475 Potato Chip Farm 3 4 3 11,725 Shelton, D. W. 9 5 2 10,500 Mahan, R. W. 6 4 3 8,775 Leading Money-Winning Horses Horse. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Von. Harry Husman 3 1-0 0,050 Royal Dasher 2 0 , 0 5,950 Henrob 4 1 1 4,500 Millcamp 0 5 3 4,200 Attempt 2 0 0 3,850 Leading Winning Jockeys Jockey. Mts. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Unp. PC. Headley, O. 219 45 29 20 125 .21 Thornburg,. B. 213 35 36 22 120 .16 Smithson, G. 184 33 31 35 85 .18 Koptyra, M. 138 29 22 17 70 .21 Roberts, C. 129 22 11 18 78 .17 Leading Winning Trainers Trainer. Wins. Trainer. Wins. Cranford, C. A. 14 Bell, W. P. 9 Gammon, T. 14 Caruso, J. O. 9 Maxwell, P. 11 Martinez, A. 9 Horton,L. 10 Shelton, D.W. 9 The following handicaps were decided: Stake. Date. Winner. Value. Ascot Park Inaugural Handicap, April 5; Flying Cosmic $ 1,700 Akron Handicap, April 27; Royal Dasher 3,250 Beacon Journal Handicap, May 11; Match Play 3,250 Ascot Gold Cup, May 18; Harry Husman 6,500 Ascot Speed Handicap, May 25; Nutzie Moran 3,250 Ascot Silver Cup, May 25; Setubal. . 2,550 The percentage of winning favorites was about normal, as shown in the subjoined tabulation : Number of races 368 Winning favorites 122 Winning second choices 77 Winning outsiders 170 Winner atodds-on is Defeated at odds-on 11 Percentage of winning favorites .33 Dead heats 1 for win 44-day meeting originally scheduled; 4 days canceled due to bad track conditions; one day added.
