view raw text
Here and There! on the Turf f: Cattarinich Colorful Figure j j I Narragansett s Position Solid j Not All Stars in Preakness j Mayer Splits Stable Again j i.............. 4 Another colorful figure to be removed by, death from American racing within the past i few days is Joseph Cattarinich, the Canadian 1 whose, interests extended as far south as! New Orleans. In fact, the Louisiana metrop- J olis is where he made his largest investment J in racing. With his associates, Leo Dan-durand, Robert S. Eddy and others. Cattarinich operated Jefferson Park for many years, eventually acquiring the Fair Grounds after others failed to make a success of it. A hard worker, willing to take a chance, Cattarinich leased or purchased numerous tracks that had been losers and, although not always successful, his fortune gained in the long run. At his death he controlled, in addition to the Fair Grounds, Fairmount Park and Aurora in the United States, and Blue Bonnets in Canada, and has been associated with the management of many other tracks. He left a good organization that may be expected to carry on. Recently the directors of the Narragansett Racing Association voted its second dividend of the year, making the" total sixty cents a share, although reserves had been set aside for the payment of all taxes and for carrying charges until the opening of the 1939 season. The Rhode Island course has paid larger dividends, but its position never has been more strongly established, thanks to the careful and diligent efforts of James E. Dooley, who took office as president and general manager about ten months ago. Not only has Dooley worked hard to protect the financial status of Narragansett Park, but he has pursued a policy throughout of bringing about an improvement in its racing. In this respect he likewise has been very successful, thereby laying the foundation for better seasons to come at the popular New England racing course. On April 15 next, the owners of a half dozen three-year-olds or so will be confronted with the task of determining whether they shall pay ,500 each to nominate them for the Preakness. The Maryland Jockey Clubs three-year-old classic now is a future event, but its conditions provide for supplementary nominations in order that any colt or filly whose development has been beyond that of early expectations could have the opportunity of competing in the mile and three-sixteenths ! event. Most prominent of the coming j three-year-olds not among the 109 now eligible is El Chico, the acknowledged juvenile champion. By April 15, William Ziegler, Jr., and his trainer, Matt Brady, should have a splendid idea of how the unbeaten son of John P. Grier and La Chica has come through his spring training although the time is a bit too soon to determine whether he is of Preakness calibre although the race is less than a montli away. Xalapa Clown and Eight Thirty are other good youngsters of the current year whose owners will be called upon to make a decision regarding the Preakness on April 15. Also those three-year-olds to develop during the winter and not already named for the 0,000 added affair will have the chance to get into the race. Lawrin had such an opportunity to get into the 1938 Preakness at the supplementary closing but his owner passed it up. If memory serves correctly, the owners of Continued on eighth page. HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. Sun Egz-et and Cant Wait took advantage of the late nomination date and were starters, but failed to finish in the money. Regardless of the newcomers, however, the present eligibles, including as they do Challedon, Benefactor, Porters Mite, Volitant, Third Degree and Olney, should provide a starting field well worthy of the Preakness. Louis B. Mayers silks werent in existence until a month ago, but they may become prominent all over the country next season. The Hollywood film magnate wasnt content to have two divisions of his rapidly acquired stable and will have a third group of about ten campaigning on inid-western tracks with Ray Kindred, the developer of Myrtlewood as their trainer but under the management of Dan B. Midkiff, president of the Thoroughbred Club of America and a rising breeder and owner himself. On the West Coast are the remainder of the Mayer runners in the care of Lon Copenhaver and T. D. Grimes, both capable horsemen, but one of these trainers is expected to visit the Metropolitan circuit next summer with a division, probably one including candidates for the important two-year-old contests.
