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CALIFORNIA RACING PLANS j Ascot Park at Los Angeles to Be 1 Reopened for Sport. ; Thoroughbred Meeting of Thirty Days or More for Coming Winter Is Being Arranged. ; I . LEXINGTON, Ky., November 1.". Chairman George It. Bentel of the Ascot Speedway Assoela- tion, Los Angeles, California, writing under date of November 5 to the Thoroughbred Horse Associa- j tion. in resiwnse to inquiries made by the officials of that organization as to the personnel of the ; Speedway Association and its plans for a revival of j horse racing in California, says: , "The Ascot Speedway Association was formed , several years ago to take over the lease on Ascot Park after horse racing was discontinued there. A paved mile track; was constructed around the running track and many automobile, motorcycle and other events have been held on the paved mile. The association has made considerable money in this way, but has always had the return of horse racing in mind. "On October 10, 11 and 12 we promoted a stampede or western borse show, and using several hundred horses in the stampede thought we would try a series of running races in connection with tlie western show. The meeting at Iteno, Nevada, had closed in time to allow the horsemen to ship to YjDand"andxiBse. "so "vc""limV about 150 thoroughbred horses quartered at the park and the meeting was successful. "Following the Ascot meeting a series of running races were held at Imposition 1ark in connection with the Live Stock Fair here, and while the purses were small all of the interest was in the running races. "Yon will appreciate the importance of bringing racing back in California by easy stages, and to get the public feeling as to horse racing we have held them in connection with other events. Beginning Thanksgiving day we propose to have four days of automobile, motorcycle, iaeroplane and horse racing, the purses for the latter ranging from 75 to 500, and on January 1 we expect to inaugurate a meeting to continue thirty days or longer. "The Ascot racing plant is intact. "We have 300 stalls in good repair. The paddock and all the equipment used in the old Ascot days has been cured for. The track is in good condition, as is attested by the fact that during the October meeting five-eighths were run in 4:01 and a mile in 1:40. A track oxiiert is in charge at the present time. "Ascot 1ark is located within the Los Angeles city limits. Four car lines with five-cent car fare lead to its gates, whither also go four paved streets. GEORGE KIDDLETON IS INTERESTED. "The personnel of the Ascot Speedway Association is as follows: George Middleton, retired, formerly of the amusement firm of Kohl and Middleton, Chicago, who was once keenly interested in Chicago racing, and owned the famous gray trotter Jack; T. H. Dudley, banker, former mayor of Santa Monica; Edgar K. Brown, prominent attorney; J. My-rick, Jr., retired, former large stockholder and treasurer of the original Ascot Park organization; II. M. Walker sporting editor of tin: Los Angeles Examiner; Id ward OMulley, sporting editor of the Los Angeles Times; Fane Norton, sporting editor of the Los Angeles Herald; Harry Itrand. sporting editor of the Ijs Angeles Express; Edward Mor-arity, sporting editor of the Los Angeles Record, and the writer, who is the largest individual stockholder. "In the early days, as you doubtless remember, Mr. T. II. Williams of San Francisco, was in control of racing on the Pacific coast. Since the deatli of Mr. Williams there lias been no controlling body in this section of the country. Realizing that to 1h; able to bring back horse racing in California it is necessary to have clean sport, we have formed the Pacific Coast Jockey Club. We are asking the Jockey Club in New York and the Kentucky State Racing Commission to work under reciprocal agreements with us. "The situation generally in California is favorable to horse racing. Our coining meetings will really make or spoil the California racing matter. A bill framed along the lines of the Kentucky law, creating a state racing commission and legalizing pari-mntuel 1etting will lie put before the people in the spring, with a good chance to pass. The best people in the btate are back of the bill. "The purses at the start of our January meeting will approximate ,000 per day and will be increased as conditions warrant. "We shall lie pleased to hear from yon further, as we both are working along the same lines for clean thoroughbred burse racing and anything you can do for us will much appreciated.
