view raw text
James Donn Not Worried Over New Florida Bill Claims Measure Cannot Become Effective for 1947-48 Dates MIAMI, Fla., May 17. — Jimmy Donn, president of Gulf stream Park, is not one to yield too readily and he contended today the state racing commission has the authority, which he says is compulsory, to set the dates for the 1947-48 Florida horse racing campaign. Gulfstream and Tropical were handed a setback when the so-called Hialeah bill" passed both houses of the legislature, guaranteeing that the track producing the greatest revenue for the state would have choice dates. That choice, naturally, would be the middle 40 days and Hialeah has already started to map plans for opening January 16 and concluding March 1. Donn led the losing fight against the measure but he insists the lesser tracks may have "one more fling." He bases his contention on a phrase in the bill that says application for dates must be made by May 1. "Since May 1 is already gone, the measure cannot go into effect for a year," he declares. The bill which "stabilizes" the states horse racing dates won in the House 75 to 10, and in the Senate, 28 to 6. An amendment was offered, which would have granted Gulfstream the 20 days immediately preceding and the 20 immediately following Hialeahs meeting, pushing Tropical out to the extreme ends of the season, but this was voted down. Another amendment to advance the start of the campaign 10 days was also killed. Whether Donn will make application for the mid-winter dates in 1947-48 or whether, in event the "Hialeah bill" goes into effect immediately, he will apply for the first or last 40 days, he declined to state. "We are mulling over that now," he said. "We took the dates no one wanted last season and did a good Job with them. Im not worried about the Hialeah bill. We are no worse off than we were before, but they cant keep Gulfstream down. We will continue to exert every effort to make our track the best in Florida. I intend to do everything I can to maintain the states revenue from racing."
