Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-10
Chicago and 'Ganset1
Will Begin Saturday
To Lead RevivaIs

|
More than 10000 thoroughbreds
were "champing at the bit" today as
the lifting of the first Nationwide
ban on racing found virtually all
racing centers in the country either
ready to resume operations, or close
to it. The ban, lifted yesterday, was
in effect since last January 3.
Earliest opening dates planned
were for Narragansett, r. l., ana
Sportsman's Park, Chicago, those
tracks scheduling their inaugurals
for Saturday.
Pimlico, with Today meeting,
and keeneland, running at Church.
i'll Downs. starting next Wednesday
will be the next to open, and then
the sport becomes almost continuous.
The California Racing Commission
will meet tomorrow to allot dates for
the States tracks Santa Anita said
it hoped to open Monday.
Beulah Park was expected to begin
Ohio's season this month and West
Virginia's Charles Town and Wheel
ing Downs also may get under way
before the end of May.
Removes Employment Ceiling.
The War Manpower Commission
will remove its zero" employment
ceiling for tracks, a regulation which
permitted hiring only essential
maintenance workers.
The ODT issued an order per-
hitting horse shipments, but restric-
tons in effect before the ban will
continue, meaning no special trains
or extra equipment In Chicago,
Col. Matt Winn said the more than
100 entries for the Kentucky Derby
will be announced Saturday, when
the date for the event probably will
be announced-either June 2 or g.
1t originally was scheduled for May
5. The colonel will consult heads
of other tracks concerning other big
3-year-old stakes, such as the
Preakness, which is expected to be
run week after the Derby, and the
Belmont Stakes, likely to. be offered
another two weeks later.
New York's May 81 opening date
is contingent upon the State Racing
Commission approving dates re-
quested by the five tracks here.
The Detroit Racing Association is
preparing to appeal a Circuit Court
injunction making racing illegal at
the Fair Grounds.
The trotting horse season opens
at Hamburg. N Y, May u and at
Roosevelt Raceway, Long Island,
May IS. The $4,000 Hambletonian
is slated for August 8 at Goshen,
N. Y.
Expect Sport to Top 1914.
Turf figures predict the sport and
business will flourish even beyond
the peak attained in 1914.
Wagering in II States hit sl,209,-
973.122 over a full season last year,
With some $4,000 900 in revenue for
those States. Total attendance was
approximately 100000, Since
Pearl Harbor. racing contributed
some $1,000, 900 to war relief agen-
cies and more than $4,000 900 in
War Bonds were sold at tracks. Ir,
recent years, New York'S wagering
has comprised about 25 per cent OF
the national total
There will be fewer race pro-
prams this curtailed season. but
they should be better ones, as all
major stakes will be run in the
time remaining. New York tracks, for
| instance, may have virtual stake
a-day" schedule New York usually
has a 180-day regular season but a
belated May 81 opening would mean
loss of six weeks on the front end,
Chicago to Have ISL Days.
CHICAGO. May 10 (PD-Chicago's
turf season, to open at Sportsman
Park half-mile track Saturday. will
include Isl racing days instead of
the originally scheduled l63.
New racing dates for the five Chi
cago area tracks were announced
following a meeting of the Illinois
Racing Commission yesterday. The
spring meeting at Sportsman's Park
will end May % and the fall meet
ing at the same track will run from
october Is to November to close
the season. Other meets will be at
Lincoln Fields. Arlington Park,
Washington Park and Hawthorne.