view raw text
Km BETWEEN RACES * «and« or/s P3MLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 14. — While no exact counts are available in such matters, estimates of reasonable accuracy have it that some 25,000,000 people saw the Preakness running over television sets. The seventy-third running of the historic mile and three-sixteenths Maryland classic saw a marked contrast with only last year when Citation scored before an admiring "screen" audience of about 3,000,000. Last year, chain television existed only from Washington to Boston, with , outlets, of course, here in Baltimore, at Philadelphia, and New York. The Citation runaway victory was thus comparatively limited as to enjoyment by the masses. The seventy-third Preakness has seen this chain of outlets extended to Chicago and St. Louis in the west, and before another Preakness rolls around the audiocasting of the Preakness and other major races may be witnessed on the Pacific Coast, as well as in the more populous sections east of the Mississippi River. At that, the films and sound of the Preakness running were flown to the West Coast as soon as possible after the race, telecasts were scheduled there for Sunday night programming. You might be interested to know that the sponsor of the Preakness video showing was satisfied thatjie had a 25,000,000 audience. He based his estimate, we understand, on three persons looking into a set, and we rather imagine that most everybody, even those not interested in racing to the point where they might be classed as fans, looked on as spectators at one of Amer-.icas great sports spectacles., Televising of Preakness Sets New Record Estimated 25,000,000 Screen Spectators A Well Done Is Earned by J. F. Mackenzie MacPhail, Vanderbilt, Occupy Win Acclaim Heretofore, the enjoyment of some of Americas great races had been limited to those at the track. Those unfortunately unable to attend were content to read the word description of the writers. The radio, from infancy to its present standard of excellence, afforded another medium of off-track enjoyment of a major race: The television has gone one better and is now providing a sizable segment of the American population with the actual running of these races. Whether or not television will ever interfere greatly with race track crowds is a matter of considerable argument at the moment. Perhaps there is some relationship between television and the noticeable trend throughout America on the part of management to create more comfortable facilities for its turnstile patrons, especially in the matter of seating facilities and other comforts and conveniences. Some tracks have pioneered in such matters long before television was a working reality. But, perhaps, all will have to make the same effort in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, turf executives here seem to be of the opinion that the telecasting of the Preakness, with the attendant "pomp and circumstance" ceremony, is one of the best bits of public relations the turf can have. Word from Los Angeles is to the effect that Jack F.Mackenzie, vice-president and general manager of Hollywood Park, accomplished a miracle by moving his organization to Santa Anita Park and getting that plant ready to operate .as per schedule, with the inaugural on tap Tuesday as carded. Problems that were seemingly insurmountable were solved with dispatch. Even as the fires were raging at Hollywood, he had workmen removing desks intact with their papers over to Santa Anita, and headquarters was in operation that very morning at Arcadia. Hollywood Park had been sold out for season box accommodations, and these had to be changed to conform with the Santa Anita pattern. Questions of policy had to be worked out, too, and in which the Santa Anita management cooperated to the utmost. One item along this line will give an idea. Santa Anita always has charged , plus taxes, for clubhouse admission. Hollywood Parks club admission has never cost more than . The latter scale will prevail during the Hollywood-at-Santa Anita meeting. In any event, our friends on the West Coast advise that Mackenzie demonstrated an executive ability in a tense situation that quite definitely could be tabbed as that of a genius. - AAA The Maryland Horse Breeders Associations fifteenth Pimlico yearling show, held at the track Thursday, .was a fitting climax to the organizations busy Preakness week activities. Competent observers agreed that it was Continued on Page Six BETWEEN RACES By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Forty-Four by far the best ever staged by the Maryland breeders. With ideal weather prevailing, there were some 60 colts and fillies paraded before the critical observation of judge Abram S. Hewitt, breeder and part owner of Phalanx. The latter scrutinized closely each exhibit, dictating as he went along to a secretary just what he saw to cause him to like or discount all yearlings shown. These notes were made available to all exhibitors after the classes were judged, thereby making of the affair a • truly educational exhibit. In the first class, for colts sired and foaled in Maryland, the winner was a popular choice, a smart, well-balanced youngster by Discovery, bred and shown by the colorful Larry MacPhail, and the first youngster ever raised on his well-appointed Glen Angus Farm at Bel Air. The dam is Boomtown Gal, a Stimulus mare that Alfred Vanderbilt sold to MacPhail along with two others to get him started in racing. MacPhail named this colt B Battery in honor of his first World War outfit. The colt was later made champion of the show, thereby taking home two silver trophies, each of Marylands tracks having supported the show by the donation of a piece of plate for one of the classes. AAA Walter A. Edgar, a recent recruit to Maryland breeding, sent but two winners from his five-mare farm near Ellicott City, taking the second-colt class with a good rangy Jack High youngster out of Directory, by Challenger JX, and a filly class with a granddaughter of the latter sire, a well-balanced miss by Challedon out of Politigirl, by Discovery. The largest filly class really set Hewitt to thinking, such a well grown, even lot did he have to pick from. His winner was a well-taken selection, as she was the first yearling by that once brilliant race horse Occupy to be shown in one of the local contests. Occupy has done well in Maryland, where his numerous owners delight in showing the visitor how well this son of the great Bull Dog is breeding — you cant visit a farm, it seems, without falling over a nice-looking Occupy. This winning filly is a product of Alfred Vanderbilts Sagamore Farm, the dam being Bright View, a brilliant mare who has already produced one other colt, who was made champion at a previous yearling show. When it came to the final awards, the Occupy filly was made reserve champion to MacPhails colt, Vanderbilt thus having a rooting interest in both of the tops. It appeared that the colts we saw this year were a better lot, and more forward in condition than those Alec Gordon judged in the rain here last season. Or, perhaps, the weather made them look j so. At any rate, this show is a most attractive exhibit for the horse-minded Maryland visitor each year.
