view raw text
TANFORAN MEETING SUCCEEDS Mutuel Play Shows Upward Trend and Should Increase Considerably. Unusual Claiming Occurrence Red Pollard to Hospital Again French Horso Courtil Arrives. SAN BRUNO, Calif., Nov. 21. Tanforan offers several important races during the present week. The Portolo Handicap at six furlongs will be featured Tuesday, the Thanksgiving Day Handicap will be headlined Thursday and the Lassie Stakes will be - the important event Saturday afternoon. With the continuation of fine weather and with good programs to be offered by racing secretaiy John Maluvius, the tracks business may show an upward trend during the coming five days. The daily average handle to date is just above. 13,000. Despite the fact that one of San Franciscos greatest attractions, the big football game between California and Stanford was staged Saturday, pari-mutuel business exceeded 87,000. Directing-owner Job Marchbank is not so keen on the amount of money wagered as he is on good formful racing and during the first five days of the sport Tanforan had that to the rith degree. Seven favorites in a row were successful one day last week and -lmost fifty per cent public choices have been victorious during the session. , PROMISING YOUNG RIDER. The bright shining individual Tanforan star to date is young Warren Van Tassel, a cocky little reinsman under contract to Roy Selden. Van Tassel has averaged over two winners a day. He has ridden ten to be exact nnd finished in a dead heat for first place In another. Van Tassel wins most of his races the "hard way," that is, by coming down the outside. He Is a left handed whip-per. One of the most unusual occurrences of the past week was the three claims made by C. G. Patmon on Saturday afternoon. In every instance Patmpn claimed a winner. They were Sir Ridgway, which won at a long price and Merina and Spazz short priced horses. His uncanny judgment in picking out horses puts Patmon up near the head of the class in the school of haltermen. Owners who have already a fine list of jockeys from which to pick pilots for their horses will have a still more choice selection this week when Johnny Longden, Americas leader, and Silvio Coucci, one of the outstanding boys of California summer racing, don silks. Coucci, who will ride for the powerful Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt stable at Santa Anita this winter, reached Tanforan Monday afternoon and may have a mount Tuesday. Longden wired that he missed train connections and would not get in until Wednesday. INCAPACITATED AGAIN. A pall of gloom was cast over Tanforan last Saturday afternoon when it was learned nthat Seabiscuits rider, Red Pollard, one of the most popular of western jockeys, was again confined to the hospital. Pollard, who, since his arrival from the East, has been : convalescing at the Charles S. Howard ranch In northern California, walked on his injured leg too soon and was ordered back to bed, where he may be forced to remain for a month.- He is at the hospital maintained by Charles S. Howard at Willits, Calif. The Tanforan horse colony welcomed a distinguished visitor Monday, when the French horse Courtil arrived after a long trip from Gay Paree. Courtil was imported by Raoul Walsh, noted picture director and sportsman. The foreigner won two races on the French turf this season. He may not see action at Tanforan, but will be pointed for the important winter stakes at Santa Anita. Frexo and Grand Manitou, other Frenchmen in the Walsh stable, have been returned to training. .
