view raw text
SANTA ANITA OPENING GOLDEN MEETING TODAY Nearly One Million Dollars in Stakes and Purses Offered Daily Average Prize Distribution to Set Record For Lengthy Session California Breeders Champion Stakes, 0,000 Added, Opening Feature ARCADIA, Calif., Dec. 30. Americas richest race meeting, the fifty-two day term of the Los Angeles Turf Club at its beautifully appointed Santa Anita Park here, opens tomorrow, with the promise of clear sides and the largest inaugural crowd in its five-year history, possibly exceeding 40,000 persons. More attractive than ever and larger, through the expenditure of nearly a half million dollars since last winter, Santa Anita now ranks more favorably with the worlds greatest race courses. In operating fifty-two days, from tomorrow through March 11, five days weekly, except next week, which begins with New Years Day, Santa Anita will distribute 17,000 to the winners of its fourteen stakes and 1 i i J j i 402 overnight events. The average of more than 7,600 daily will be the largest ever maintained for a meeting of such long duration, and will be augmented by the nomination and starting fees in the stakes. The four previous meetings here began on Christmas Day, but that fell on Sunday this winter, the opening was put back six days and will be featured by the California Breeders Champion J3lakes, the tracks traditional year-end headliner. Eleven California-bred horses, which will become three-year-olds on the following day, have been named overnight for the 0,000 added event of one mile. GROSS VALUE OF 5,170. With all starting the Champion Stakes will possess a gross value of 5,170, of which the winners net share will be ,775, the. second horse receiving ,000, the third ,000, and fourth 00. Breeders of the first three horses will share ,750. In the Breeders Championship field are eleven horses, and the Norman W. Church entry of Plucky Flight and Playful Wink loom as the likely favorites. Both are sons of the former handicap star, Pluc Play, and Plucky Flight was impressive in a sparkling victory at Tanforan. Playful Wink, while still a non-winner, is rated about on a par with his stable companion. Another entry that will come in for considerable support is Dear Diary, Morning Breeze and Last Hand, a trio belonging to Neil McCarthy, Los Angeles attorney. Like the Church team, they are the offspring of a former handicap star; namely, Tick On. Morning Breeze is a sprinter, while Dear Diary races from the rear. Then there is Smoky Snyder, belonging to Louis Almgren; Dunfrese, from the barn of W. E. Boeing; Ardrigh, which races for Lon Giboney; Toro Play, from the barn of Lou Grana; Valley Lass, good sprinting filly, from the stable of John Cromwell, Hollywood motion picture producer. THREE FILLIES ENTERED. Three fillies and eight colts are entered in the homebred affair, with the fillies carrying 119 pounds, and the colts 122 pounds. The fillies are Valley Lass, Dear Diary and Morning Breeze. With the rich purse at which to shoot, the best riders of juveniles on the grounds have been engaged. George Woolf, Seabis-cuits regular pilot, will be astride Morning Breeze, with Basil James on Dunfrese; Johnny Adams on Dear Diary; Raymond Continued on seventeenth page. C u Vv V H w al " T1 of " of f L P " " 1 of a n 1 J 1 ? is x 1 c c c 3 ; J j j i i - !-! , 1 u s s e h b n ,j. te b b : SANTA ANITA OPENING GOLDEN MEETING TODAY Continued from first page. Workman on Plucky Flight; Silvio Coucci on Valley Lass; Charlie Corbett, on Hasten Henry; Johnny Longden on Ardrigh, and Carroll Eierman on Playful Wink. Principal improvements since last year were in the enlargement of the clubhouse and construction of a new, larger paddock, permitting patrons to look down on the horses before they make their parade around the walking ring proper upon entering the track. In the center of the ring is a circular marble fountain dedicated to the memory Kenneth R. Kingsbury, one of the tracks founders, whose death, occurred within the last year. Upon it are inscribed the winners the four runnings, respectively, of the 00,000 Santa Anita Handicap and 0,000 Santa Anita Derby, with room remaining for many more renewals of the associations two most important features. CLUBHOUSE EXTENDED. The clubhouse was extended to within a few yards of the grandstand, thereby increasing its seating capacity to about 7,500 persons. With the grandstand capacity being doubled for last winters meeting, Santa Anita now has seating accommodations for nearly 25,000 persons, and more than twice that number can view the races from a standing position on the terraces. The roof the clubhouse likewise was extended to afford protection to many of the seats formerly out in the open. Other expenditures went for resoiling the track and revising the flower scheme in the infield. Of the fourteen stakes on the program, the handicap and Derby naturally are the outstanding, but elevated to new importance the San Juan Capistrano Handicap, to which will be added 5,000. The closing day feature formerly was a 0,000 added affair of a mile and one furlong, but with the larger endowment its distance has been increased to a mile and one-half. All of the others will have 0,000 purses, whereas last years minimum vas ,000. The smallest purse a year ago was -,000 for two-year-olds after January 1, and ,200 for older horses, but now it is ,500 for all events, as the juvenile races are being discontinued in accordance with the new rule of the California Horse Racing Board. The stakes program is as follows: ELABORATE STAKE PROGRAM. The stakes program is as follows: Saturday, December 31 California Breed-l ers Champion Stakes, two-year-olds, foaled in California, 0,000 added, one mile. Monday, January 2 New Year Handicap, three-year-olds and upward, 0,000 added, one and one-sixteenth miles. Saturday, January 7 Santa Maria Stakes, three-year-olds, 0,000 added, six furlongs. Saturday, January 14 San Pasqual Handi-l cap, three-year-olds and upward, 0,000 added, one and one-eighth miles, Saturday, January 21 Santa Susana Stakes, three-year-olds, fillies, 0,000 added, seven furlongs. f Saturday, January 28 San Felipe Handicap, three-year-olds and upward,- -"0,000 added, six furlongs. Saturday, February 4 Santa Margarita Handicap, fillies and mares, ,t"hree-year-olds and upward, 0,000 addedj one and one-sixteenth miles. Saturday, February 11 San Vicente Handicap, three-year-oids, 0,000 added, seven furlongs. Saturday, February 18 San Carlos Handicap, three-year-olds and upward, 0,000 added, one and one-sixteenth miles, Wednesday, February 22 Santa Anita Derby, three-year-olds, 0,000 added, one and one-eighth miles. Saturday, February 25 San Antonio Handicap, three-year-olds and upward,. 0,000 added, one and one-eighth miles. Saturday, March 4. Santa Anita Handicap, three-year-olds and upward, 00,000 added, one and one-quarter miles. Wednesday, March 8. Santa Catalina California-Bred Championship, three-year-olds and upward, foaled in California, 0,000 added, one and one-eighth miles. Saturday, March 11 San Juan CaDistrano Handicap, three-year-olds and upward, 5,000 added, one and one-half miles.
