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New Jersey By Bob McCurley Welcome Sport Back to Garden State Park Officials Extremely Optimistic Over Opening Ambitious Stakes Program Attractive to All GARDEN STATE PARK, Camden, N. J., May 1.— Tomorrow, Garden State Park, pioneer of the modern day era of thoroughbred horse racing in the State of New Jersey, welcomes the return of the sport for the 1959 season. With 150 days of racing in prospect in the Garden State, it appears all is in order for another banner year and the statisticians have their pencils sharpened and poised, ready to rewrite the records. Today, on the eve of the seasonal debut, Garden State basks under bright spring sunshine, typical "Mori" weather. It is a harbinger of what is ahead during the next 25 days as Garden State Park, itself all bright and shiny like a newly minted coin, plays host to the nations leading owners, trainers, thoroughbreds and approximately 20,000 of the faithful each day. The painters are busy applying the final coat of paint. The carpenters are getting in their last licks with hammer and saw. The Stevens kitchen is a beehive of activity. The stable area is a maze of vans, feed trucks, cars, trailers and warm handclasps as old acquaintances are renewed. The barns, from A to Z, are bulging with thoroughbreds, 1,200 of them in all. President Gene Mori, vice-president and general manager Walter H. Donovan and Assistant General Manager Joseph M. McCrane are eagerly awaiting the throwing out of the first horse. Even with the opposition of the Kentucky Derby on TV, and racing at the nearby centers of Jamaica and Laurel, they are extremely optimistic. Competes With Derby Day Last year, 33,384 fans were on hand to bid welcome to the thoroughbred. Though soaked by rain which fell all day long, their spirits were not dampened in the least and they responded by sending ,514,331 through the machines. This did not come close to the record opening of 1955 when 41,799 turned out and, if one remembers, that was the year of Swaps and Nashuas Derby. There are none like that pair in this years Run for the Roses, so it may well be that the record figure will go by the boards as good weather is in prospect for the morrow.. In opening its gates for the 18th year of continued operation, Garden State has an ambitious stakes program of eight added-money events, with the track putting up a total of 30,000. The first of these will be tomorrows Valley Forge Handicap, which carries an added value of 5,000 and the final is the Jersey Stakes, a 0,000 mile and a furlong scamper for three-year-olds which has been neatly placed between the Preakness and Belmont, second and third legs, respectively, of Americas Triple Crown, Juvenile and Distaff Features In line with its policy of offering as diversified a stakes program as possible, there is something on the books to suit every age of thoroughbred. A pair of juvenile races, the 5,000 Rancocas for two-year-old fillies and the Cherry Hill, an open race for juveniles, will afford the youngsters ample opportunity to strut their stuff. Both are at 5 furlongs. The 6-furlong Delaware Valley Stakes, exclusively for three-year-olds, and the Betsy Ross at the same distance, but restricted to sophomore fillies, will give the three-year-olds a pair of 5,000 pots to shoot for while preparing for the Jersey Stakes. Fillies and mares three and up have the 5,000 Colonial Handicap on which to set their sights. The 6-furlong affair annually attracts some of the top distaff runners to the area. A quick look at the records shows this event has been won by the likes of Farmerette, Twosy, Cinda, Myrtles Jet and Venomous, to mention only a few. Finally, for the handicap division there is the Camden Handicap at one mile and a furlong and open to three-year-olds and up. This 0,000 stake was the springboard that sent Nashua past Citations all-time money-winning record back in 1956 and the following year was the scene of one of Bards-towns infrequent defeats when he found it impossible to carry 130 pounds and concede 12 to Chris Chenerys hard-hitting Third Brother. All in all, an exciting meeting is in prospect at this lovely suburban course located in the heart of the rich Delaware Valley, only a few miles from Philadelphias City Hall. Tomorrows Valley Forge Handicap promises to be a corker with the likes of Ada L. Rices Talent Show, C. Mahlon Klines Mystic II. and Brookmeade Stables Oligarchy expected to draw most of the support. The race lost some lustre with the deflection of Boncrist Farms Backbone, but then it must be remembered Talent Show defeated that worthy soundly in the Laurel Maturity not long ago.
