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r 1 Here and There on the Turf Claiming Headache Relieved Rockingham Has Bold Plans Arlington Park Looks Ahead Latonia Derby More Attractive Having released each other from the promise made at the meeting in January at Miami of the National Association of State Racing Commissioners to have a claiming rule with a ,000 maximum, the commissioners of various states have voted to change this phase of the rule. Kentucky and New York were the first two states to adopt the F rule recommended by the National Association of State Racing Commissioners and they are the first to amend it. No members of the tUrf governing boards of either of these states were present at the Miami meeting, which hasnt made any difference to their subsequent action. Kentucky raised the maximum claiming price to ,000, which ia high enough to take in all platers on the Blue Grass circuit, New Yorks State Racing Commission and The Jockey Club then approved the rule without a maximum limit and Marylands governors were quick to do likewise. Other states can be expected to follow suit. Elimination of the ,000 clause has been the principal objective of opponents to the new claiming rule and now that this has been accomplished, perhaps the conversation about claiming races will subside somewhat. It certainly has flourished during the winter. One of the principal objections to the , ,000 clause was based on the fact that graded handicaps were offered as substitutes. For some reason or other, probably because they can do their own handicapping in claiming races, horsemen were against events of this character. Now, however, the horsemen will be able to run platers at all prices. Proponents of the claiming rule adopted at Miami hoped that the substi-1 tution of handicaps and condition races would tend to improve the standards of the daily programs. With no limit placed on claiming prices, the new rule increases its restriction on the amount of claiming as the races go into higher bracekts. For example, a horse claimed for ,600 must run for ,000 for thirty days thereafter under the twenty-five per cent increase clause, whereas a steed taken for ,000 must perform for ,750. Such a jump is certain to put the brakes on claiming in the higher brackets, which is what non-claiming horsemen had hoped for. Cheaper horses will continue to change hands with some degree of regularity because there is little difference in the class of a ,000 plater than one of ,250. Some trainers may take a chance on running a ;500 plater for ,000, but it is very unlikely if they get away with it without losing their horse, despite the new rule. Matters have finally reached a point where Lou Smith could come out with an announcement regarding a meeting at Rockingham Park. The sport will be offered at the successful New Hampshire course for twenty-nine days, starting on May 15 and running until June 17, both opening and closing coming on a Saturday. Narragansett Park will commence the tirst of its three meetings on Monday, June 19, and will operate until Saturday, July 6. This harmonious dovetailing of the dates cannot help but meet with the general approal of racing people and the public. During the twenty-nine day session Smith will give 00,000 or more in ! stakes and prizes and this outlay, represent-1 ing an average daily distribution of more than 0,000 a day, should go a long ways toward insuring Rockingham Park of the same good class of horses which furnished the sport there last season. With a pair of 0,000 stakes, five with ,000 added each, twenty of a ,500 value in addition to thirty ,500 overnight handicaps, H. D. Monroe, Rockingham Parks racing secretary, will be in a position to work out a diversified condition book, one that should give all classes of horses ample opportunity to show their wares. Of the ordinary races to be run during the meeting, eighty-three will be worth ,000 each and eighty-six at 00 each. The latter will be for the cheapest grade of platers and, with the winners share amounting to 00, the lowest claiming price can be set at ,200 and still conform to that phase of the national claiming rule stating that a horse can win no more than one-half of the amount for which he is entered to be claimed for. Arlington Park certainly is not weakening in its efforts to give Chicago the finest kind of racing possible judging from the announcement of its -stakes roster for the 1935 season. A total of 5,000 will be added to six stakes, an average of more than 4,000 each, and with a purse minimum of ,000, the outlay at Chicagos north side course will go well over the 00,000 mark, even if only seven races daily are to be offered. Nomination and starting fees to the Arlington Futurity and Arlington Lassie Stakes may add another 0,000 to this amount, thus giving Arlington Park one of the greatest average distributions of American tracks. Such attractive prizes as Arlington again is offering will be very diffi cult for the countrys outstanding stables to pass up, something they have not been able to do in the past. Col. Matt Winn has announced the date for the Latonia Derby as June 1, which sandwiches that historic event in between two New York three-year-old specials, the Withers and Belmont Stakes. As a consequence and with the added value boosted to 5,000 from 0,000, the event should attract all the important western three-year-olds and perhaps some from the East which are not in the Withers and Belmont Stakes. Another added inducement for owners of a majority of the better three-year-oldsis the reduction in the distance from one mile and a half to the more popular route of a mile and one-quarter. Winn also has announced that a ,000 bonus will be paid the Latonia Derby winner if he happens to have won the Kentucky Derby, and this may have the effect of attracting that fortunate horse if no other engagements interfere. Latonia cannot help but have a better season, with the program of stakes and purses being worked out by Winn and his associates. The increase of minimum purse values from 00 to 00 is a sharp raise and will draw better racing material, despite the competition for horses offered by Chicago, Detroit, New York and New England. Winn believes it will haye the effect of holding many more of the midwestern stables at home and, if he is right, the racing enthusiasts of Cincinnati and vicinity have much more to look forward to at the Mid-vale course.
