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TIME RIPE FOR CALIFORNIA RACING Realization Possible if Biff Business Men and Breed ¬ ers Sponsor Movement for Such It occurs to me that racing and raising of race horses will be better from now on because better men arc interested writes C A Harrison in the Breeder and Sportsman I hope some of the great owners of thoroughbreds who are citizens of Cali ¬ fornia will grasp the opportunity to buy a plant like the Pleasanton track because of Its wonderful appointments and close proximity to San Francisco greatest sportloving city in America If some of the thoroughbred owners whom I know to be men of big affairs would buy tills great track and open it up with a race meeting the people of San Francisco and adjacent cities would pour into its gates in big numbers The business would be a success and a pleasure to the owners ownersThe The automobile is no detriment to racing because with good roads nearly everybody may go to the races In the old days they had to go by train or stage Today nearly everybody Who is anybody owns an automobile and these automobiles hold quite few people I have noticed throughout the northwest instead of the man of tlie house going to tlie races alone he now takes the whole family in an automobile I know tlie people love good races racesI I do not want to be known as a knocker instead I want to be known as a booster I think tlie time Is ripe for the big men of Califrnid who are In ¬ terested in the breeding of thoroughbreds to buy the Pleasanton track I have not been asked to sell it nor did I mention it to Mr MacKenzie I am sure he himself will never open its gates to tlie public Tliis looks to me like the golden oppor ¬ tunity It needs firstclass men of business Judg mcnt to make this great enterprise a success successRACING RACING COMMISSION SUGGESTED SUGGESTEDI I also believe a racing commission may be had in California if tlie big business men who are thorough ¬ bred breeders will apply for a bill for a racing commission to be appointed by the governor I need not nlme tlie men I have in mind but I shall men ¬ tion several for instance Rudolph Spreckcis J H Rossefer A K Macomber Edward Cibrian Adolph B Spreckels M H Tichehor and George W WIngfield These men are all real business men of the highest social standing and genuine sports men menIf If a racing coriimission wee asked for and spon sored by them and they pledged themselves to take charge of the commission the legislature would not question their integrity All over the United States It would be known that the state racing commls sion of the great Sate of California was handled by men classed as Americas best citizens and known in California and everywhere else as real men and real sportsmen The public never again wants books made by any organization of bookmakers or getrlchqulck artists f do riot wish to close as a reformer nor do I be ¬ lieve all bookmakers were bad but their day has gone gone forever foreverI I know there are thousands of men of the north west who love the sport of racing as well or bet ter than I Thousands of men are Qualified to speak their minds on this matter yet perhaps they feel silence is golden While I may riot have the pleasure of living long In this great old world I intend to keep hammering away at this subject subjectIiiopis Iiiopis iMjfore I cross the great didvide I will jiaVe ecn a racing cbmmissiott in CaJIfprriia fos tereil by such men as I have Tnentioricd aTid have in mind I will then feel I have at least done a little good for the sport I love so well
