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CALIFORNIA HOPES HIGH TURF PEOPLE SANGUINE OF SECURING LEGISLATION PERMITTING RACING AGAIN. Many Strong Influences At Work to That End — Peculiarities of the Tijuana Track — Cebrian Horses Arrive. Hy J. K. Jeffery. Sun Diego. :il. . January 13. — The movement for the restoration of ractag in California lias taken definite form with the drafting of the hill dealing with the subject which the ■oaken of the legislature will be asked to pass. The legislature has just convened for its biennial session and high hopes are entertained by racing men familiar witli the situation that it will take a favorable attitude when the proposition of the Colden Gate Thoroughbred Breeder! Association, which strong organization of representative Californians is taking the initiative in bring the matter to the attention of the legislators, has been properly presented, as it will be. Following the recent return from the east of president Charles W. Clark of the Breeders* Association, a conference of some of the leaders in the Movement for the revival of racing was held, at which the details of the proposed legislation were perfected. The bill, as finally decided upon, provides for the apiwintment by the governor of three state racing commissioners, who shall have absolute control em tlic allotment of racing dates to any and all organizations desirous of conducting race nicotines under the provisions of the bill. The pari-inutuel form of b.-tting would be legalize.! by the bill, but it is expressly stipulated that honkmaking shall DC prohibited. The furnishing of information in regard to the racing to poolrooms or their agents is forbidden. No county is to have more than sixty days of racing in any one year — thirty days in tic spring* and thirty days in the fall. The- State- Fair Association is authorized to con-dust a meeting of twelve days only at Sacramento, ai.d no as oc ation or corporation to Which state or county aid is given, shall be permitted to rice for mcir, than six clays. There are many such i.ssocir.tions in California enjoying state assist. nice in holding district fairs and the legislation will be of direct benefit to them. It is proposed to permit associations and organizations conducting racing, to deduct a commission of not exceeding eight per cent on wagers under the pari-mutuel mithod. one fourth of which shall be paid to the racing commission for the exelusixe benefit of the school fund. It is made a penalty to bribe any jockey. owner or groom connected with any of the racing stables, the penalty on conviction being not less than three years nor more than ten years in the penitentiary. Will Have Influential Backing. These- in brief are- the salient points of the measure which will have- the backing of the Golden Gate Thoroughbred Breeders Association. An energetic effort will be made to obtain the passage- of the bill, which is conceded to have a fair chance- for c-nac tinent. Some of the most substantial citizens of the state are exerting themselves in its he-half and the bill will have strong backing at Sacramento. It will have an infuential friend at court, so to speak, in the person of states senator Janus C. Nealon. secretary of the Golden Gate Thoroughbred Breeders Association, who was electi-d to membership in the uuper branch of the legislature at the- recent election to represent one of the Sin Frane-i-eo districts, with the distinct understanding that his election was to be followed by the introduction of a bill to revive- racing. Senator N.-alon raced a stable of horses with marked Mii-i ss in the days when racing flourished in the vicinity of San Francisco under the- old regime, but withdrew from the sport several ream before legislation wiped it out. He- is popular with the Baa Francisco electorate and has held various public offices from time to time, with credit to himself and his constituents. While those be -hind the- racing bill do not und-re-stiniate the mig-nitude cif the- task they have undertaken, they still arc highly sanguine of the- outcome. One leased! for this hopeful attitude is that men of influence- ai.ei standing are lending their assistance to the movement with an enthusiasm that shows a genuine revival of interest in thoroughbred racing. Many of the- lain who are going to the front for the .sjiort have never been actively identified with it. but some of the in probably will be, if the bill passes. It is a sure thing that there will be an immediate and ext nsive revival of thoroughbred breeding in California if racing is restored. Some who formerly coneiii-teel breeding farms are ready te» engage in the industry again and there are any i.umber of wealthy sportsmen residing in the vicinity of San Francisco who are anxious to try their hand at it if the California legislature will extend the necessary encouragement in the way of :. Hording the opport unity for racing at home. Few c;f them would dare to engage in racing at distant points, but they would most enthusiastically patronize racing on the Pacific coast for sheer love of the sport and its social features. If racing comes back at this time in California, it will be on up enduring basis, with the highest type of sportsmen in control of its destinies. Track Changes Affect Tijuana Racing. Changing track conditions at Tijuana have kept the talent ft* "ing a good bit of late-. The composition ol the se.il over which the- horse s race is of such a nature- that it does not dry out quickly. even when conditions ire highly favorable. Once the track bee-, mes tie. roughly wet. several days must elapse before fast track conditions ue restore el. The- course- ...cupie-s an old rivr bed ami has a bathraa at lioi-t lead The top soil is a fin- leam. Which absorbs the water instead of i-heeleling it. The track is aelways well sprinkle-el when there- is no raja and the liberal cushion that is niaintaiii-el at all times is a fae-tor in the retention of the moisture. So horses that are partial to coft going arc- afforded opiiortunities here out of all proportion to the amount of rainfal. Withal. the- track is perfectly safe at all times and it at no time- as deep in mud as the time recorded would Kcem to indicate. It becomes sticky and slippery rather than de-ep. The patronage of the meeting continues satisfactory. The- change from open ring conditions to the- syndicate plan has been accepted in good part by most of the regulars who are gathered here. Some few who were disatisfied with the c li nige have taken their departure for other points. Continued on seventh page. | i , : ■ Continued from first page. This defection has been more than counterbalanced by constant accessions of newcomers. The tourists have just begun to put in an appearance in goodly numbers in this locality and this class of patronage is now making its presence felt at the course. Even though acting in concert as to prices, the layers have been having no easy pickings of late. Roy Oflutt. who is said to be the heaviest loser of all the layers here, is leading the ring in the matter of prices. The agreement under which layers are operating provides for a uniform maximum price on all starters. As the individual layers adhere closely to the Offutt fluctuations, there is a remarkably uniformity of quotations all over the ring •it all times. Those who are making the best of the situation realize that Manager Coffroth consented to the syndicating of the ring only as a matter of necessity. His only alternative would have been the installation of the pari-mutuels when the open ring system broke down and this was an alternative for which he was not prepared Cebrian Horses Arrive. A notable recent arrival at Tijuana was Al Far-roll, with eight young horses belonging to Edward Cebrian, wealthy young San rraneisco sportsman, and two belonging to A. Josephs, also of San Francisco. 1-Y.rrell is one of the foremost of the younger generation of Califomian trainers and made a line reputation for himself while training the good males Bubbling Water and Cloudliglit for Molero and Josephs in the days when racing was in its heyday at Oakland. lie is now managing the ex tensive thoroughbred interests of Mr. Cebrian. who has embarked on an ambitious scale, with the race track at San Jose as his headquarters. Mr. Cebrian already owns no less than one hundred thoroughbreds, including some breeding stock of proven merit. With the exception of those just brought here to race, they are all at the San Jose track, on which Mr. Cebrian has acquired a ten-year lease arying an option for the purchase of the property. Mr. Cebrian is described s an enthusiast over breeding and spends a great deal of his time among his blooded stock. He is one of the most earnest workers for the passage of a racing bill in Cali-lornia and none will enter more heartily into the 1 sport than he if the opportunity offers. His family-is one of the foremost in California and traces back to the days of the Spanish occupation of the state. Mayor James Bolph of San Francisco, who is a particular friend of Manager Coffroth. was a recent visitor at the course, together with Mrs. Rolph and appeared to enjoy the visit immensely. Many of the California horsemen to whom he was introduced expressed the hope that they would soon have the opportunity of helping to elevate him to a more exalted position than that he now fills so creditably. Jockey Earl Pool, who is under contract to W. P. Fullers Bronx Stable, is once more showing his good saddle form. His recent slump was due to failure to keep himself in proper riding condition. He is really a capable jockey, in the opinion of U.oil judges, and certainly one of the best here. Hugh L. Jones, well known as a layer when racing flourished in California, recently put in an appearance bete and has become one of tile regulars. When racing ceased at Los Angeles in 1909. he retired completely from all connection with tie-sport, and this is practically the first bit of racing he has seen since that time. He owns the Denver baseball franchise and. when not engaged in attending to his interest in that direction, spends his time at Los Angeles, where he has a fine home. Mr. Joins made a good bit of money out of his book-making ventures and had the business ability to take care of it and invest it wisely. Leslie Belt is another former California layer who is here for a sojourn of indefiute length. Fortune has been smiling upon him in recent years, according to report. He makes his home in San Francisco.
