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Tanforan Attracts Large Crowd On Opening Day $ 0 SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 5. Racing came back to one of its old stamping grounds this afternoon after a lapse since the fall of 1928, when a betless meeting was held. Judging by the size of todays crowd and the enthusiasm which ran to a high pitch as the first field of horses was sent on their way over five and a half furlongs in the first race the meeting is destined to be a great success and, no doubt, the opening wedge for meetings that will bring back recollections of halcyon days .of the turf on the Pacific Coast. The crowd was larger than had been looked for since Judge Joseph A. Murphy and his associates in the promotion of the sport took into consideration the obstacles confronting them in educating race fans to an entirely new system, which, for the thirteen days, must take the place of the customary betting. This is an option plan which at the track eliminates the third place altogether as a speculation. Only options are available and these only on the first and second horses, divided eighty percent to the winning horse and twenty percent to the second horse. Students of tho charts,, as will be published in Daily Racing Form, may find this change a bit of a puzzle. To begin with, they will miss the usual "equivalent odds straight." The usual timidity and hesitancy attendant upon a drastic change in the customary betting plan was evident with the running of the first two or three races on the opening days program, but the crowd was enthusiastic and the contests were interesting enough to keep up the early interest. The last meeting held at this track, was in October-November of 1928. It was promoted by James W. Coffroth. The present plan of operation has survived a test in the courts and there is every indication that as soon as the various angles are smoothed out, it will more than make good the hopes of its advocates.
