view raw text
Officials Begin Checking In for Ak-Sar-Ben Meet Take Over Advance Preparations For Season Opening on Friday OMAHA, Nebr., May 12.— With the opening of the Ak-Sar-Ben meeting on Friday only three days away, the official staff here is rapidly reaching its., complete strength. A recent arrival from Phoenix, Ariz, was Noel Chilcutt, director of racing and steward. Chilcutt completed the recent Turf Paradise meeting in Phoenix where he was a steward, -and prior to that served as director of racing and steward for the Arizona Downs meeting. Jack S. Young arrived from his home in South Bend, Ind. and will be in the stewards stand with Chilcutt and Ralph Boomer. The latter, steward representing the Nebraska-Racing Commission, arrived from Fonner Park in Grand Island where that meeting is slated to .close Wednesday. Racing secretary Lou Eilken, who has been on hand for more than a month, returned from Chicago where he accepted a number of nominations for coming stakes to be decided here. -Edward Champagne arrived from his home in New Orleans. He will be assistant racing secretary here. While in New Orleans, he was active as placing judge during that meeting. Henry "Hank" Mills arrived from Phoenix where he was starter during the Turf Continued on Page Forty-Nine Officials Begin Checking "In for Ak-Sar-Ben Meet Take Over Advance Preparations For Season Opening on Friday Continued from Page Six ■ Paradise meeting. Mills will be paddock judge again this year in Omaha. Billy Mills is due to arrive from Ascot Park in Ohio where he has been dispatching the fields. Prior to that meeting he held the same post at Santa Anita. He will be in his fourth year here as starter. John L. Watkins arrived from his home in Buckeye Lake, Ohio. Watkins will again be clerk of scales. He acted as placing judge during the Oaklawn Park meeting at Hot Springs. James West, patrol judge here, arrived from his home in Phoenix. During the winter he is identifier for the Arizona Racing Commission, and also serves as racing secretary at all of the Fair meetings in his home state. Expected to arrive some time prior to opening day is Charles Mullaney, veteran western racing official. Mullaney just completed a stint at Los Alimitos Quarter Horse meeting, and prior to that served in official capacity during the Harness and Quarter Horse meeting at Bay Meadows. He will assist Champagne here as placing judge. James Wallace will check in Thursday from Fonner Park where he relieved Ralph Boomer as state steward during the final days of the Grand Island meeting. Wallace was assistant secretary and patrol judge at the recently concluded Turf Paradise meeting in Phoenix. Irving Anderson, former top rider for Calumet Farm, will be in his first year here as patrol judge. He will complete the meeting at Fonner Park in time to take up his duties at Ak-Sar-Ben. Anderson was paddock and patrol udge during the Fonner Parkmeet. Charles M. Brown, veteran docker, has been on hand for some 10 days. He will again be timer during this meeting. Brown was active in a similar capacity during the meeting at Oaklawn Park. Arlan Ward, custodian of the jockeys room, arrived from Phoenix where he served in the same capacity during both the Turf Paradise and Arizona Downs meetings. Meanwhile, the task of registering the many thoroughbreds to be seen in action here is well ahead of schedule, and capacity fields are practically assured for the opening-day program on Friday.
