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reflections! By Nelson Dunstan . ; 1 Wicks Bill Will Bring Changes Swope and Associates on the Job Fans Laud Turfs Contributions Breeders Still Forgotten Men NEW YORK, N. Y., May 26. Hardly had George Bull announced "only a national calamity can stop the Saratoga meeting" when word came from Albany that Governor Lehman hacl signed the Wicks Bill as of Jan. 1, 1943. This year the state and racing associations will split fifty-fifty as usual; but, under the new law, the state will take 60 per cent and the racing associations 40 per cent. There is a possibility, however remote., that the. law will be rescinded when the state legislature meets in the fall. Governor Lehman stated: "The bill is expected to bring substantial additional revenue to the state." Unless rescinded, it is expected to bring other things, the most important of which is the end of the mellowed upstate course and the creation of a new track, probably near Flushing, to replace the Spa during August. It has been predicted on occasions that the "march of progress" would mean a new mid-summer track near New York. That "march of progress" stuff has long been one of Hitlers pet arguments. Personally, we would rather see racing at lovely old Saratoga than at the most modern course ever constructed. But, if that is what the state law makers want, it is useless to talk of tradition, mellowness, etc. Most of the Monday talk at Belmont centered about the splendid patriotism of the managements of Lincoln Fields, Belmont Park and Jamaica. Lincoln Fields contributed 0,000, and from "Belmont Day," with Jamaica contributing the same amount as Belmont, will realize, it is expected the figure will reach 50,000 or 00,-000, adding the Lincoln Fields sum. Roughly, racing has already contributed 00,000 to War Relief and EDWARD P. KILROE Jamaicas presi- cnarities this season, and on actual dent has announced his track will con- count my be nearer 50,000. It tribute the same amount to the War is now on its war to the first half Relieffund as- Belmont Park will realize million of the ,000,000 pledged to from its Army-Navy Day program on War Relief and is a foregone con-june g elusion it will be over the million- dollar mark by mid-summer. What, heretofore, has been "Belmont Day" at the Elmont course will be "Army and Navy Day" with high-ranking officials from both branches of the service attending. Besides the Belmont Stakes, with Alsab in the lineup, they will run the National Stallion Stakes, a time-honored juvenile event that will draw many of the best babes to race so far this season. A huge throng is expected to witness the Suburban running this week-end, but in view of the purpose of Army and Navy Day, which will be Saturday, June 6, another record-breaking crowd is certain to be on hand. Every dollar, over and above added money and purses, will go to War Relief. A vote of thanks is due to Herbert Bayard Swope and the otherswho make up the Turf Committee of America. In Chicago, they accepted the assignment of welding together the many race tracks which operate under different state laws and under different conditions. They were the target of some impatient people and yet they stuck to their tasks with little or nothing to say in return. To co-ordinate the many channels of contribution, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of the United States was formed and to this committee must also go much of the credit for bringing the turf into favorable light with the nation at large, for its War Relief endeavors. This particular group is presided over by John C. Clark of Hialeah and, serving with him as vice-president, is Harry Parr IH. of Baltimore. The directorate is composed of Col.. Matt Winn of Chicago and Kentucky, George M. Francis of New York, Judge James Dooley of New England, Benjamin Lindheimer of Chicago and director of both Arlington and Washington Parks, and Carlton Burke of California. Ben Lindheimer was in New York last week and, before another week is out, it is expected that racing will take another notch on Its War Relief gun when he and his associates make their announcement. The names of all these men will be deeply etched in the history of what the American turf accomplished in World War II. Yearlings are still "the worlds most sporting gamble." At Belmont on Monday, nine three-year-olds faced the starter, one being Raj Kumar, an ,000 colt by Bahram Quick Action, by Hurry On. Another was Question Man, a ,500 babe by Questionnaire Halki, by The Manager. As is sometimes the case, the cheaper of this pair was the winner, although it must be added that bad racing luck was mainly the reason for the defeat of the more expensive colt. The case of Raj Kumar is a most peculiar one. Superbly bred, he was taken from the ring for the sum named. He did not appear as a two-year-old, and in Mondays race, the first of his career, he could have been claimed for ,500. No one claimed him. Yet, he ran as if sound, and we hazard the guess he will not long be a maiden. There is just no telling about yearlings. What better example than Alsab? Costing 00, he is now approaching the 00,000 mark in earnings, and it could be that before 1942 goes over the hill, we will all be wondering if he cannot join Whirlaway as a horse who may one day pass the 00,000 mark in earnings As long as yearling sales are conducted, the romance of the turf will live on. Wonder how that half-brother to Alsab, that Blax Hirsch purchased for King Ranch, is coming along? Recently, a national magazine asked if we would be7 interested in writing a story as to what we think the Saratoga, Lexington and other markets hold for the breeders award no matter how small for every stake race run on the American the future outlook for racing, to be combined in a magazine story he is working on. It is our opinion, and always has been, that the breeders of this country are entitled to a better break from racing than they get. -There should be, in our opinion, a breders award no matter how small for every stake race run on the American turf. Take the case of Alsab again he sold for 00 and has earned close to 00,000. Take the case of Man o War, or that of many others who went through the sales ring for a song. Now, with full crops, the breeders face a "buyers" market, unless, of course, the war news means a decided turn in favor of the United Nations, before the sales take place. As to the future of racing, it is our own opinion it has a glorious future. War may cause temporary setbacks, but one has only to go to the tracks these days to realize that a goodly portion of the American people love a horse race. In the future of racing, there must come a day when the breeder is given more credit and a better opportunity to earn a dollar on his product than is the case at present.
