The halls of ivy have beckoned and as a result the driving ranks have thinned at Northfield Park.

Northfield's "Kiddie Korps" of young reinsmen are heading back to college this month, but each one promises to return to the track next spring.

The first to depart was 22-year-old Gary Budahn, who reported for football drills at Gustavus Adolphus College in Concordia, Minn.

Budahn, a Phi Betta Kappa candidate and chemistry major, is a starting tackle on the "Gustie" team which annually is one of the small college powers from Paul Bunyon county.

ANOTHER RETURNING to classes is Bill Zendt, who will leave shortly for Lycoming College in Pennsylvania. Zendt, son of driving regular here Wilbur Zendt, will be a senior in Business Administration. He's a member of Lycoming's basketball team.

Zendt is currently recuperating from a broken wrist suffered in a racing mishap two weeks ago.

Tom Tetrick, one of the area's many newcomers, will leave soon for Southern Illinois where he is majoring in advertising and John Konseky III will go back to school to work toward a master's degree. Konsky was graduated from Bowling Green last June. If he earns a second degree he may be the first from the driving set to go that far in school.

Several other reinsmen are currently making plans for college classes, either locally or elsewhere.

HARNESS RACING suffered a great loss last weekend when the speediest colt ever to pace at Northfield, Lavender Laddie died. He set the track's pacing record when he stepped to a 1:59.1 mile in a Charles A. Otis Memorial on June 4^th during the Painesville meeting.

Laddie has been buried on a hill over looking William Blaine farm in Elderton PA. Dick Wood, who reined the immortal mile here, had this to say about the horse. "Dad has some 20 head on the farm at Elderton, but it had to be Laddie who died."

ERVIN SAMPLES of Rockford, who has raced here, has become the 60^th driver in harness racing to hit the 1,000 mark in winning drives. He hit the magic figure recently at the Mercer County Fair. He's 61… Trophies, racing skills and other mementos accumulated by Forrest A. Short during his 24 years in the sulky have been on display at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus… The Northern Ohio Colt Stakes Circuit will hold its annual awards banquet at The Holiday Inn in Medina on Sunday, Oct. 18. Reservations for the event can be made by writing Joe Cowden, secretary of the group P.O. Box 521, Medina by Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Tomorrow's holiday Cash Night program at Northfield will be topped with eight going in the feature event. The top monetary prize of $2,500 will be awarded after the 10^th and final race with Early Bird of $1,000 going after the opening dash.

Named for the feature is Wee Judy D., Hesters Time, Tucked In, Pacific Frost, Arions Counsel, Petrina, General Acres and E.M. Travel.

This column originally appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer September 6, 1970.