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Nelson Dunstan REFLECTIONS Bv Nelson Dunstan Pleasure Riding Ban Tightens OPA Congratulates Suffolk Downs Adams Says Suffolk Not for Sale McLennan Talks on Breeder Awards NEW YORK N Y May 27 It was a foregone conclusion that Governor Dewey would refuse Saratoga Springs permission to stage a meeting this season To have had a meeting would be making a mockery of gas and rubber restrictions No one track has the right to jeopardize others and while we all regret missing the Spa sport this season the refusal of the Governor is for the good of the game if not for Saratoga Racing is doing a grand job for War Relief but all the good would be undone if a track now nowmemies memies could point the finger at the sport as a whole Walter Winchells recent statement that race track heads have been warned about autos or they would be closed in a few weeks was either misinformation or a figment of the imagination Neither Federal nor State officials want racing stopped but they do ask the fullest coopera ¬ tion They are entitled to it in this crisis and it is up to racing officials and fans to take heed and enter into the spirit of a restriction that will help our country win this war Saratoga must operate at a Long Island track and even though Empire City officials insist they will be served by trolley cars they cannot deny it would be better for the vast majority of fans who patronize their track if the meeting was transferred to Jamaica or Aqueduct AqueductL L J Bresnahan Director of the Office of Price Administration is recently credited with having said to Charles F Adams If your track will play ball it will release 30 inspectors from Suffolk Downs for investigation of black market violators That Suffolk Downs played ball is evidenced by the letter Bresnahan sent Adams on May 24 It said in part Dear Mr Adams by this time you have read of the decision of the Office of Price Administration to again impose a ban on pleasure driving in the Eastern States I want to take the opportunity of thanking Suffolk Downs for its wholehearted and patriotic cooperation with our office before that ban was imposed When it was called to your attention there was ah acute shortage of gasoline you and your directors voluntarily decided to close the Suffolk parking areas in order to assist the administration in its efforts Subsequently when the pleasure ban was lifted Suffolk remained steadfast in its decision to keep its parking areas closed It is a happy experience to have such patriotic cooperation as Suffolk has shown our office in this instance Signed L J Bresnahan director Adams said We deserve no special credit We are trying to be good Americans by living up to the edicts of an office that is charged with a great responsibility As we stated in this column yesterday Suffolk trolley service from the heart of Boston is the best we have seen to date Contrary to rumors Joseph P Kennedy has not bought Suffolk Downs nor are any negotiations under way Suffolk Downs is not for sale Charles F Adams told us today Last year I had a decision to make either give up my business or give up running the race track So I disposed of all business interests and am now devoting all of my time to my farm and Suffolk Downs A few weeks ago a broker did approach me but I do not believe Joseph P Kennedy is any more interested in buying the track than Bruce Westmore and I are in selling it The old adage of serving two masters holds good with me Last year I would have sold if the price was right But I am no longer interested in any offer Adams has welded together a splendid organization and is constantly on the alert for ways and means of improving the popular Boston course Charles McLennan will release the secojid condition book of the meeting on Saturday and for the second time at this meeting horsemen will find that the purses have been boosted and that bigger purses for better horses is more than a mere slogan Adams and McLennan are solidly in accord of a breeders award but have ideas of their own on how the plan should be worked out and the type of horses for which a breeder should be encouraged to send to the Charles McLennan has given considerable thought to such awards The Suffolk Downs officials are all for it he told us but we fail to see why an award should be given to breeders of a 1000 claiming race or why the second horse should come in for consideration The idea as we understand it is to make the profits more equitable but more important to encourage the breeder to produce better horses Then why an award for the cheapest horse Make it for horses of the 3000 grade and upward with 50 or more to the winner At Suffolk that would mean the breeders of about four out of eight races daily would come in for an award We have always rewarded the breeder of the winner of twoyearold stakes The 7500 Myles Standish Stakes calls for a breeders award of 500 Other tracks recognize the breeder of important stake events and that is the way breeders will be encouraged to produce the higher grade of racers Imagine if this plan becomes universal what this would mean to the breeder of a real champion That in my opinion is the most intelligent way of making this plan accomplish its true purpose They cannot all be champions but I see no reason for regarding the breeder of the cheapest grade In fact if all horses were rewarded it would encourage some breeders to go on producing the cheapest claiming typesAt types At Suffolk the speculation of what Attention will bring at auction is just as keen as in New York The guessing ranges from 20000 to 50000 with our own figures being about 35000 At that figure the Equipoise fiveyearold could win himself put with some to boot and still be a valuable stud prospect It would not surprise us if some of Max Hirschs clients were bidders Attention is the best handicap performer to be auctioned in recent years Breeders are interested in the sale as it will give them a line on market strength but more for the reason that sons of the might Ekky are in the Jimelight as valuable additions to the stallion band at any breeding farm Speaking of that speculation is also rife as to whether the vast Valdina Farm will be continued of whether the holdings will have to be sold to settle the estate If the latter it would be the largest dispersal since the days of J B Haggin The sale would probably be delayed for a year as present indications would make it a question whether the market could absorb so much breeding stock this year A Texas sale would hardly be likely as Kentucky would be a far better market
