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----------------------------t I Here and There! on the Turf California Takes Stand j Bans Early Two-Year-Old Rac- I ing j Breeders Seek Early Winners I Oldsters Provide Best Sport j ! i ; ; For the first time this winter since the successful revival of racing in California, no events for thoroughbreds turning two years of age on January 1 will be staged at Santa Anita Park. The California Breeders Association has gone on record against early campaigning of juveniles and the Los Angeles Turf Club is abiding by the decision without commenting one way or the other on its preference in the matter. Other tracks operating this winter, such as Hialeah and Tropical Parks in Florida, Fair Grounds at i New Orleans and Oaklawn Park in Arkan-1 sas, will provide races for the youngsters, perhaps one daily regardless of whether the associations are in favor of them. We doubt if they are, because they are not very popular with the public and therefore the wagering upon them is low in comparison with the other races. For several years Joseph E. Widener and I Hialeah Park stood out against two-year-old racing there because the former does not believe in such early campaigning of juveniles. He hasnt changed his opinion, but constructed a straightaway at Hialeah and has listed a two-year-old race daily there these past couple of winters because of the demands of horsemen. Likewise such events are carded at the Fair Grounds and Oak-lawn because owners desire them, yet if they conveniently could be eliminated the associations probably would seize the chance. In respect to the California decision, the wishes of visiting horsemen werent taken into consideration and as the owners and breeders in that state are so closely aligned, I the thought of one group very nearly resembles that of the other. Perhaps the edict against early two-year-old racing there was to prevent Eastern owners from bringing in juveniles for the purpose of disposal, ; thus detracting from the local market. Regardless of the California breeders action, if it was aimed as a protection for their market, or the horsemens wishes for two-year-old racing at Hialeah, Fair Grounds and Oaklawn, the writer sees such early use of thoroughbreds as only detrimental Jo the sport. Let it be argued that Seabiscuit and numerous other good horses raced before they actually were two years of age, but that is no brief in favor of early racing. Seabiscuit, Faireno and others like them were all but failures in "baby" racing and they did much campaigning afterwards before coming into their own. Their development could have been brought about just as surely by steady training without being subjected to competitive pressure which works so much havoc on soft bone and tender muscles. Public breeders in the established centers like Kentucky are favorable towards early racing because, as they express it, an outlet is provided for yearlings of average promise or less. Should early two-year-old campaigning be stopped after the coming season, something of a hardship undoubtedly would be worked on this class of producer, but if that hardship continued during ,the following years, they would have no .one to blame but themselves. As we so cof ten -have written, if America is to have decent, solid sport by three-year-olds and older horses over reasonable distances of ground, horses must be bred for that purpose, otherwise the breeders will continue to produce horses whose first essentials will be speed and precocity and only the two or three sportsmen of William Woodwards type will have Saratoga and Jockey Club Gold Cups for their trophy rooms. No particular group ever should be given preference where the best interests of racing is at stake. Unfortunately, no such cooperation exists in this country as it does in a country like England where the Jockey Club, breeders, owners and associations all work together for the purpose of providing classics and the horses worthy of them. Here, if one track wishes to cater to sprinters or another to the cheapest sort of platers they do so. The courses where grade "A" sport, by our standards, is presented are very few, so it is no wonder that early winning horses are bred so they may be sold easily and quickly. No immediate improvement either is hoped for or expected but the time may be coming when the average distance of races is considerably increased, even if brought about by a curtailment of tracks through adverse legislation. And let it not be overlooked that the ordinary patr.on much prefers a race of a mile or more than one of six furlongs or less,-.,. a. feeling that is expressed through the tote board ,
