view raw text
BETWEEN RACES *y 0SCA« om ARCADIA, Calif., May 31.— The Hollywood Park conflagration posed some problems for the California thoroughbred breeders, as well as the track management. James G. Jackson, registrar for the breeders, has been extremely busy during the last few weeks revising plans for the annual summer vendue of the Califor nia bloodstock owners, and has advised that a satisfactory arrangement has been made. The sale will be held at Hollywood Park instead of at Santa Anita, and the dates for the vendue have been expanded to three nights instead of two. The evening auctions will be conducted on July 18, 19 and 20. This embraces the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday following the running of the highlight of the Hollywood season, the 00,000 mile and a quarter Gold Cup. The sale site will be that used for the L. B. Mayer dispersals in the past, an area undamaged bjr the fire. Jackson reveals that the California breeders will catalog about 165 horses from an original nomination list of 225, and of those about 150 are destined to be actually sold. Accidents or illness usually account for some withdrawals before "gavel time." By selling about 50 yearlings each evening, the sales committee hopes to cut down the length of the individual sessions, some of which, in the past, have admittedly "dragged" late in the night. Breeders Switch Sales to Hollywood Park Koester Says New Quality High Attained Market Selective, But High Averages Loom Additional Safeguards for Tattoo System Jackson says that a personal survey indicates that the yearling market, in the West at least, is definitely more selective than at any time in , past history, yet he looks forward to the sales averages being slightly higher than last year. He makes the latter deduction in the belief that the higher quality to be offered this year will more than offset any downward trend which may be apparent in California. The West Coast vendues, incidentally, have a national significance in that they are the first major sales in the nation and are carefully tabbed by breeders throughout the continent as the possible trends at Keeneland and Saratoga. Col. Frank Koester, TJ. S. A. retired, currently is completing his tour of inspection of state farms approving or rejecting sales nominees. His reports to the sales committee are most encouraging as to the quality and general health of the yearlings earmarked for the auction. Despite the fact the sales were "opened up" this season to permit California breeders to sell stock owned by members in the ring, regardless of foaling place, only four non-California breds are to be cataloged. One significant fea ture of the coming sale is the number of new consignors, among them being Charles S. Howard with an especially strong representation of Miolands; George Brent, F. Martin Zalud and others. Archie Sneed is offering seven head by Californias sensational young sire With Regards, and three of the four existing Ortello colts in this state also will go under the hammer. Such western favorites as Top Row, Hollyrood, Castel Fusano, No Competition and Alibhai also will be represented. AAA Jackson is quite aware of the apparent feeling east of the Rockies that California is one of the best markets in America for a "made" horse, but one of the weakest for a yearling. While admitting that in the past there may have been some basis for this belief, Jackson says that the continued improvement in the type of horses being offered at the annual summer vendues of his association is working to correct that situation. Some notable bargains were obtair 5d by bidders at last summers vendues, an item which is expected to strengthen the coming sale no little. Jackson says the average of all Beau Peres sold in California have exceeded the average of the Beau Peres offered at Saratoga. This may or may not be a fair criterion, but it at least is an indication that bidders here will go rather high for stock with a pedigree and conformation to match. Incidentally, all turf people who received catalogs last year will automatically receive them this year. Continued on Page Thirty -Five BETWEEN RACES By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Thirty-Six Those who did not obtain catalogs last year may write to the association and they will be mailed promptly after they are received from the printers, in about two weeks. AAA Horses and People: Mesdames Robert S. Howard and Howard Sherman, owners of the Fifty-Fifty Stable, report that the name "Heartbeat" for the full sister of Drumbeat, which recently arrived at the Howard farm in the San Fernando Valley lias been rejected by The Jockey Club because of prior claim. . . . The filly was foaled on St. Valentines Day and the mare, Silistria II., was bred back to Fair Truckle. . . . The owners decided upon Fair Truckle, holder of the worlds record for the six furlongs, 1:08%, as an ideal nick for Silestria, whose produce all could travel long distances, Drumbeat for instance, winning the 0,000 Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park at a mile and five furlongs. ... It escaped notice the other day, but for the records, it might be mentioned that the lip tattooes as applied by TRPB crews sees the individual numbers and serial letters placed in the "branding iron" by hand, and each number has a distinctive lilt. . . . Photographic records are kept of each tattoo and in addition to the number itself, foolproof in themselves for all but the most far-fetched theorists, the photographs identify the number as being of a distinctive setting, quite as the FBI identifies typewriters which may have typed a certain message as different from all other typewriters in the natioriTv.- This double check photographing system is one reason the tattoo method is considered absolutely "counterfeit" proof and is why several major racing associations have accepted the lip tattoo method as final proof of identification. AAA Santa Anita has uprooted all its flowering peach trees, and will replace them with something less temperamental. . . . Seemed as how the peach trees blossomed at the wrong time, just after the meeting was over, etc., and last winter because of the freeze, most of them did not blossom at all. . . . We doubt if any modern day rider in the West has made as many comebacks, and sustained them, as Carroll Bierman. . . . " After an absence from the saddle of more than a year, Bierman swung back into action at the recent Golden Gate Fields meeting, and despite riding there for only two weeks, wound up sixth leading rider. . . . He currently is rated as one of the ablest and most dependable pilots at the meeting here. . . . Bierman is only 30, so if the careers of Johnny Longden and Charlie Ralls may be taken is a criterion, he has many years of activity ahead of him. . . . The Bierman book, incidentally, is being handled by Johnny Maiben, at one time rated one of the three great riders of America. Fans always mentioned Maiben, Sande and Fator in the same breath.