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. aaB . . : : : - Connors Corner Jamaica s Crowd Legend Fails As Garden State Meet Begins By "CHUCK" CONNORS JAMAICA, L. I., N. Y., May 5. — This racing ground is all set to enter upon its final week. The scene will then shift over to Belmont Park where a vast improvement in the size and caliber of the starting fields is anticipated. Jamaica, in the spring, over the years, has not been noted for its king-sized starting fields and racing officials . .and and public public alike alike have havec ■ " .and and public public alike alike have havec searched for the reason, but have never come up with one that ansurers the question. Horsemen when queried on the matter, cite the condition book, the condition of their charges, t e vanning conditions from one track to another and other reasons. A legend has has been been built built up up in in aaB has has been been built built up up in in the past few years that Jamaica is by far the most popular track in New York. Well, many people are beginning to refute that claim and try to figure out where the stories originated. There is no gainsaying that Jamaica is popular in the spring. Everything is new. Including a lot of two-year-olds and some fresh folding money that was accumulated following the holiday-season at Christmas time. Jamaica encountered its first opposition on Saturday when Garden State opened the New Jersey season. Garden State out-drew Jamaica by some 5,000 people and at the same time shoved more currency through the totalisator. Then again nearer home the "jugheads" on several occasions topped the play at this track not by a few dollars, but a wide margin/ There is a vast discrepancy in the turnstile count from Saturday to the Saturday previous. On the latter date 41,372 were on hand. The past week end the count was 28,156. It is a cinch that the absentees did not make the trip to Garden State or stay home to await the running of the Derby, or wind their way out to the golf course. It is hard to believe that Jamaica lost its appeal to New Yorkers overnight. Then again there is another angle that must be taken into consideration,, and that is the summer ■ meeting at Jamaica. Compare the turnstile count during the Saratoga Springs-at-Jamaica meeting as against the early days in the spring or the late ones in the fall. There is a pronounced difference in favor of the early opening and the late fall closing. Derby Riders Return New Yorks jockey invaders to" Louisville, j Ky., for the Derby, were back this morning; They reported that the track was muddy and now would await some assignments, if coming, in the Preakness. . . . Trainer Jim Ryan of the Mrs. John R. H. Thouron stable returned Ben Lomond from Garden State to Belmont Park Mr. and [Mrs. Frank C. Rand, who week-ended at | Garden State, their Clem was a starter in the Valley Forge, returned from that point. — One-Eyed King, owned by the Cain Hoy Stable, was back at Belmont Park this morning. . . . Jockey Pete Anderson and Eric Guerin motored back from Garden Continued on* Page Forty-Six I CONNORS CORNER By CHUCK CONNORS Continued horn Page Thtee State ready to accept mounts. . . . Ben Blair, one of the veterans of racing, he usually winters in Miami, postcards from Capetown, South Africa, that racing is extremely popular in that city. . . . Harry Stevens II., of the catering clan, was back on the job following a siege of illness. . . . Lou Walger returned to his post as maestro of the tctalisator department here. The medics at the North Shore General Hospital said his allergy disappeared when he was called upon to come up with a couple of winners. Herman Levin, the producer of "My Fair Lady," returned from London, England, He reported that picking winners in England and France, was just as hard as coming up with a big hit show. . . . Norman Tallman, the veteran trainer, is convalescing at his home. Mrs. Tallman is also on the sidelines and they console each other during the daylight hours. . . . Noureddin, owned by-Peter Graffagnino, the Crescent City patron, may be named a supplementary nomination for the Preakness and also the Belmont. The supplementaries for the latter stake close five days prior to the running. . . . Mrs. Dodge Sloane returned from Louisville and Lexington and expressed satisfaction over the showing of Sailor and his first crop of foals. . . . The coughing epidemic played additional havoc with the Yougthf ul Stakes. First Landing. Steverino and Steve W. are on the sidelines coughing. Trainer J. Fitzsimmons stated that Bold Ruler is just about ready for an overnight race and his name in the entry list would create no surprise. . . . The work on the improvements and alterations at Belmont Park are being rushed at a rapid pace. However, John Golden, track superintendent, stated that the finishing touches in some of the work may not be done until after the opening. . . . Trainer Ivan Parke relayed word that the Maine Chance horses would be shipped back to Belmont Park today. . . . Harry F. Guggenheim of Cain Hoy Stable is due back from Louisville nad Lexington. . . . The brochure for the Hollywood Park meeting was distributed here. . . . Joe Strauss of the Melody Lane Farm reported that he witnessed some interesting racing in England and France. He described one race, 11-4 miles test, a straightaway in which he never saw the start or the finish. This event was contested in England.
