view raw text
Eilken Optimistic Over Coming Centennial Meet Racing Secretary Elaborates On Juvenile, Sophomore Program LITTLETON, Colo., June 22. — Racing secretary Lou Eilken moved in for the 50-day meeting at Centennial, June 29 to September 7, while Clint Smith, who has programmed the quarter horse races during the past 25 days, moved on to Ruidoso Downs at Ruidoso, N. M., to become associate steward. For the past month, Eilken has been studying past performance on the thoroughbreds in a makeshift office and has a good line on the horses which will be available for the eighth summer of racing. "All I can say," Eilken* said in taking a season-long view of the Centennial situation, "is that we are truly going to have some fine racing. Our three-year-old program will be tops, thanks to last years juvenile results. Lots of winners back. Lots of horses that have gone on to prove themselves the past winter. "And, it looks like this years two-year-old program will be on the same top-level basis as a year ago. Of the older group of horses, we are assured of about the same caliber thoroughbred to take advantage of our stakes program." Entries for the first days racing will be taken in one week. By that time, about 600 thoroughbreds, and 160 quarter horses picked to remain from the 400 which competed during the night meeting, will be available. Some 200 thoroughbreds will arrive from Ak-Sar-Ben in Amaha early in July. The opening -day feature will be the Littleton Speed Handicap. Three sprinters already have been nominated for the ,500 event which highlights "Littleton Day" at the track. They are Mountbridge, Barge Ballad and Miss Dundee. In 1956, Centennial handled 0,603,380 during its 50-day season. Total attendance was 249,512, just short of 5,000 per afternoon. The only major change on Centennials program this year will be the return of. the popular quarter horses, two races daily, on which there will be qulnlela wagering.
