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1. Latest Racing Manual Most Complete Published "by Nelson Dunstan The 1938 American Racing Manual should j be the number one "must" on the book list of every racing student and enthusiast. Within its covers is contained the vital data and , ., essential information which down through the years has won it recognition as the standard reference and elbow companion of every one interested in the many phases of the turf. There is no other book like it or nearly like it, for editor R. J. Brooks and j his staff have given years to the task of its 1 unique preparation. Its improvement year after year is but a reflection of their efforts to make it the last word in manuals where , thousands upon thousands of assorted items have been collated and arranged so that the reader can find in a second the data or information he seeks. While veterans of the turf are probably as familiar with the manual and its use as this writer, the following paragraphs are penned with the thought of their aiding the thousands of newcomers to the sport who may be seeking the records which tie the past with the present. The greater part of the contents of the American Racing Manual is not to be found in any other publication, for the reason that it is compiled, edited and printed by the same organization which publishes the Daily Racing Form, an organization that specializes in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing and has a large staff devoted solely to the task of assembling and disseminating news. Issued annually, it is so priced that it is within the means of everyone, but with the passing years this book has become so universally accepted as the "American Turf Authority" that back numbers are constantly sought by students and collectors at premium prices. Back copies are difficult to obtain, however, and this despite the fact that the editions of late years duplicate pretty much all of the early editions .plus the new features being added with each succeeding volume. NEARED PERFECTION. The writer was of the opinion the editors neared the peak of perfection, when, a year ago this time, the 1937 edition was released with many new features, the outstanding improvement, to my way of thinking, being the "Turf Highlights of 1936" and the "Chronological Summary of Important 1936 Turf . Events." For a quick comparison of the sea-sons 1936 and 1937, the seeker needs only the i Manuals of the two years before him. For . instance, the total monetary distribution of 1936 was 2,993,890 as opposed to 4,363,562 in 1937, while some of the other items which can. be compared are leading money-winning owner; leading money-winning horse; best horse of the year; three-year-old champion; champion handicap horse; richest stakes of the year; worlds records created; fastest mile of the year; leading jockeys and other items too numerous to mention. ENTIRELY NEW FEATURE. The "Chronological Summary of Important Turf Events" was an entirely new feature with the 1937 edition, and is arranged in diary form of the important events which transpire day by day. In the 1936 diary, we read that on January 1, "30,000 attend races at Santa Anita Park; 303 nominations re- ceived for 1936 Pimlico Futurity." The 1938 edition records that on January 1, 1937, "Mrs. Emil Denemarks silks victorious in two races at Tropical Park, Chasar winning the E. Phocion Howard Memorial Handicap and Blind Pig the supporting attraction. M. I Webb Offutt, well-known farmer and breeder, found dead in his bed at his Elmwood Farm, near Georgetown, Ky." Thus starting with the 1937 edition, a turf student has a day by day account of the important happenings, c concerning the sport and its people. Another new feature of late years is the listing of the racing colors of approximately 7,000 owners, and each year the list is revised . and augmented by the addition of the colors assigned new owners. However, as feature i after feature is added, they serve to prove the Manual editors are on the alert for the trends and progress of racing, although the basic idea of the work has steadily been built up from the data contained in the editions of I twenty years ago. Every important track is : listed, with a diagram, the track records at . the various distances, and such explanatory matter as location, soil, width of back stretch, 1 seating capacity, etc. From the Aberdeen Stakes through the alphabet to the Youthful Stakes is recorded the history of important races, giving the year, winner and jockey, ; weight, second and third horses, value and l. time. Diagrams of foreign tracks and the history of the classics of England, France and Australia follow. HANDICAPPING ARTICLE. 1 To give a detailed list of the Manual con- ! tent is impossible in an article of this length. But a partial list of the content will give some idea of the -work as a whole. For those interested in handicapping, there is an article , on the dos and donts; another article, "Mod- ern Handicapping Ways," by N. S. Hand; a ; chapter on Handicap Tables and Instructions, and a Comparative Speed Table of Track : Records. For those who seek the records of the past, along with those of the present, there ; 1 is contained the complete racing records of , such famous horses as Man o War, Colin, Exterminator, Sun Beau and Equipoise, and : also chapters on fastest records in racing; jockey feats; two-year-old leading winners - since 1870; walk-overs since 1913; leading ; money winning horses; winners of 00,000 or over; steeplechase winners since 1904; leading American sires since 1860. Wherever a table of previous years is given, the 1938 edition brings the subject matter up to date, along with the many surveys which aid in the embracing of every turf activity of 1937. The breeder and breeding student will find considerable data of aid to them in the Man-3 ual. There is a chapter on Americas Lead- I I ing Sires since 1860, and a description of each stallion which led the annual list from that year on. Following that is a chapter on the Leading American Sires of 1937, with a chart of the "Twenty Leaders," and a detailed individual record of each of the twenty listed. The same treatment is given the Sires of Juvenile Winners, and the Leading Sires of Brood Mares. Following that are chapters devoted to Leading Breeders, and then a quite complete list of breeding farms, divided by states and giving the location, owner, number of acres, the names of the stallions and the number of mares. YEARLING SALES DATA. Data on the yearling sales since 1910 is complete, and a valuable item in this chapter is the listing of yearlings which went under the auctioneers hammer in 1937. By this chart the sales data on any two-year-old of 1938 ; can be obtained. As I review what I have written to this point, I realize how far I have ; fallen short of describing the complete con- tents of this work, and I can only say that it is so vast and voluminous in detail that the space to which I must confine this article is hardly sufficient. However, I can and do honestly recommend this as the greatest value in turf literature I know about. To editors, turf scribes, racing officials and handicappers, it is absolutely indispensable. At the price asked, however; it is worth the purchase for anyone interested in knowledge concerning the horse and horse racing. 1 ; L S 1 8 1 2 ; 2 ; 2 2 1 E 5 3 j 11 j 8 j 10 jj 9 9 10 0 12 2 11 1 11 1 12 2 11 1 12 IS n I v a a I t t s l c c i t c c t g
