view raw text
B E T W E E N RACES * °»» °™ ARCADIA, Calif., June 1.— The fire at Hollywood Park has had serious repercussions for the Western Harness Association, which had scheduled its fall season racing at the destroyed Inglewood oval, and, at the moment, the status of the session is a bit uncertain. One Western Harness jiMiuww official uiiiiai advises auvuca that timti he lie jiMiuww uiiiiai auvuca that timti he lie is against holding the meeting at Santa Anita for the w reason that he feels there would be too much racing in the immediate Arcadia vicinity, and would favor cancellation of the season if Hollywood Park is not available. He added that he spoke only for himself, and not for the association, but, nonetheless, his views may be taken with some authority. Jack F. Mackenzie, vice-president and director of racing of the Hollywood Turf Club, advises that his organization feels that it owes it to racing in general, and Western Harness, in particular, to make the Inglewood plant available for racing this fall if at all possible. But whether this can be accomplished or not will not become known until the flock of engineers on the scene complete a survey of total damage and make estimates as to the time required for a complete rebuilding. The Western Harness people cannot legally use the Los Angeles County Fair Grounds at Pomona. The trot and pace men will hold an executive session within the next few days to determine a program. It is just possible that enough temporary work Status of Western Harness Meet Uncertain Hollywood Fire Poses Problem for Trots Aly Khan Rider Essays Luck in California Many West Coast Mares in Overtime1 Duty can be done at Hollywood Park to make the place "race-able" for the harness horses without interfering with major construction work necessary to put Hollywood Park back into actuality in time for its traditional summer meet next year. Everyone sincerely hopes this will be possible. AAA The reinsmanship here of Nicholas Patrick Brennan will come in for close study during the ensuing weeks. Nicholas Patrick Brennan came io America only three weeks ago from his native Ireland to the employ of Arizonas Rex Ellsworth on the recommendation of Frank More OFarrell. Brennan was the leading apprentice rider of his year, 1944, on the Shamrock Island. Born in Dublin, he has lately made his home in Kildare. For the last two seasons, he has ridden for Prince Aly Khan. The Khan, incidentally, added his recommendation to that of OFarrell. Brennan does not anticipate any trouble in getting the "hang" of American race riding. "The boys just ride a bit shorter stirrup than we do," he explains, "and push their mounts a bit earlier. However, because of my size, I always rode with a shorter stirrup in Ireland than was customary there, and the change over here has not been hard. Balance on a horse is attained by the knees, anyway, and not by the stirrups." Brennan added that he was having more trouble learning to drive an automobile on the right side of the road than he was learning American riding methods. AAA Ellsworth believes the boy has a future in America. Brennan is 23 years old, weighs 105 pounds, and stands but four foot 10. He will never get big. But Ellsworth is banking more on his prediction of success on the boys brain rather than mere skill. Brennan brings what might be termed a continental attitude toward horses, in that he is a close student of horses, training, and deems riding an eventual conditioning for a stable of his own as a lifetime career. He does not treat riding as just a job that pays rather well, to be forgotten when he leaves the jockeys room at the end of an afternoon. Forgotten, that is, until the next noon. Brennan had no trouble in getting his license. Starter G. R. "Buddy" Wingfield okayed him after he had broken his first horse from the gate of a morning. AAA Jack Fox, farm manager for the P. G. Winnett turf interests, makes the interesting observation that this has been an "overtime" year in California for, broodmares. While exact figures are not available, Fox says that an Continued on Page Nine BETWEEN RACES I By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Thirty-Six astonishingly large percentage of mares were late in foaling. "Id guess the average was about two weeks over the accepted gestation period of 340 days," observes Fox. "Perhaps the severe winter, unusual for California, was the reason for this phenomena. It might be. But Ive just about made up my mind that a foal is due when it arrives. I owned a mare in England named Smeaton Lady, who for five years in a row carried her foal for exactly 12 months and two weeks. All the foals were perfect, and all could run. Who could say that her normal period of gestation should be 340 days?" Fox, who once rode steeplechasers and to the hounds in England, operates the Winnet farm as much on English standards as possible. The farm, known as Rancho San Vicente, comprises 3,000 acres about half way between Pomona and Puente in the rolling foothill land of eastern Los Angeles County. Counter Balance, a son of Equipoise, holds court there. AAA Horses and People: Sid Luft announces that his location crews will begin filming tl?e Man o* War stor at Faraway, Fa£m, Fayette County, come August 1. . . . Man o War raced before the advent of loud speakers, and the drama of his major races will be aided by a narrator. . . . Meanwhile, Dave Butler is finished with the shooting of the Seabiscuit story. . . . Jimmy Sinnott, the New Orleans turf executive, is adding to his experience by serving during the season here as assistant manager of the private turf club. . . . Joe Rolando, the San Francisco lumberman, is quite happy over his ,000 purchase, High nMighty, obtained from the Darby Dan sales. . . . High nMighty has won her last three races in a row. ... Sir Ralph, a 7,000 buy from the same vendue, has been fired and is currently recuperating at the Sunny Valley farm of Earl Sorrell. ... Sir Ralph is named for Pittsburghs Ralph Kinard. . . . O. L. McKenney has been appointed assistant general manager at Del Mar, a well-deserved promotion for one of the Wests younger turf officials. McKenney in turn, has appointed Lee Roebuck as .his first assistant in charge of track condibi6n-ing. . . . Roebuck studied under the late Frank Rinehart, builder at Santa Anita, the modern Caliente, Longacres and other coast tracks. . . . Del Mar, incidentally, has an entirely new strip to offer horsemen at its coming season, a new base of clay having been laid for a top dressing of loam high in humus. . . . The soil is known in .Cafbrnia as bjacktop. ,» 4 n „
