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BETWEEN RACES * os™ ot,s ARCADIA, Calif., June 4.— After a rather hectic summer, the great Northwest is at long last at peace with itself. The squabble in Vancouver and Seattle has been settled to the satisfaction of all hands. In Vancouver, you may recall, the British Columbia Turf and Country Club, operators of Lansdowne Park, tossed in the sponge because of excessive taxation, and its dates were transferred to Sam Randalls natty and refurbished iive furlonger, Exhibition Park Old Hastings Park. Lansdowne will not operate this year, but will in 1950 under a completely reorganized management. Peter D. Gordon, president, has named the well-known Canadian turf expert, Jack Diamond, as vice-president and chairman of the management committee. Alfred E. Simpson, a large stockholder and in the past two years a dissenting minority in management policies, has been added to the board of directors, thus bringing harmony within the club ranks. One of the first moves the new B. C. Turf Club made was to announce that a "tote" would be installed for the 1950 meeting, and promised to open the track between September 1 and December 1 to provide breeders and owners with a suitable locale to break and school young horses. The new turf picture in British Columbia is most encouraging to the sport and to the rapidly expanding breeding empire in the province to our north. " A A A Abit further south, in Seattle, the new Washington Peace Finally Reigns in the Northwest Exhibition Park, Longacres Ready to Race Austin C. Taylor Silks to Return to Turf Able Veterinary Work Saves Sire Stagehand Racing Commission and Joseph Gottstein, president of Longacres, made an amicable settlement of their differences which, for a time, saw Longacres cancel its meeting. Gottstein is rushing preparations for the 54-day season opening June 25 and continuing through September 5. The line-up of Seattle officials will be changed a bit, with Eddie Thomas serving as steward representing the state, and Dr. W. J. McKeon transferring from the post of racing secretary to that of "assistant to the president." Thomas is best known in California as a starter, but it will surprise no one to learn that he is equally at home in the green-carpeted pagoda. Thomas, incidentally, has been empowered by the Washington commissioners to name his own inspectors of racing, the officials known on most other tracks by the title of "patrol judges." Gottstein advises that because of prior uncertainty over dates, there were some cancellations of stall reservations.- Longacres could use, and we imagine the owners will do rather well, with middle-distance claimers of the ,500 to ,500 class. AAA Racing in the Northwest this summer promises to be the most intriguing. Maj. Austin C. Taylor is returning his silks to the racing wars. He has five Cana dian-bred two-year-olds and one three-year-old in training at Lansdowne under the care of Wally Dunn, the man who developed Mafosta for F. Ronald Graham. We understand Taylor will invade the California market for a few additional horses to bolster his campaign in both Vancouver and "Longacres. The debuts of Bram-bling and Star Affair also are being awaited with interest. Brambling is a three-year-old son of the English Derby winner, Watling Street. He stands 17 hands high and is said to be a looker. He wintered at Jack Pattisons ranch in North Vancouver and is reported to be rounding to racing fitness. Star Affair, a son of Star Dust from the Fair Trial mare Affair, won the Blake Plate in England at Phoenix. Brambling cost 6,000 and Star Affair 8,000, making them two of the most important equine purchases in British Columbia in quite some time. The owners are a syndicate of Canadians. Both Brambling and Star Affair are considered as good stud prospects if they prove themselves upon the race course. Star Dusts yearlings averaged 5,000 at the 1948 Don-caster Sales. AAA A prolonged and determined battle to save the life of the stallion Stagehand apparently has been won. Stagehand broke his hind leg while playing in the paddock on the San Fernando Valley farm cf Chet Root and for a time it was thought the accident would necessitate his destruction. In fact, the insurance people gave permission to put Stagehand to sleep. But the youthful Root, a determined fellow, decided that every effort be Continued on Paae Seven BETWEEN RACES I- By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Forty made to save such a valuable sire, and the vets were called in to apply their skill. Johnnie Walker, D.V.M., devised a cast ! which proved workable and, at last reports, : Stagehand, after 45 days, was rated as | having an excellent chance of recovery. Stagehand had about completed his book : when the accident occurred.- Root brought j down another Sickle sire, Brevity, to com- : plete the book for owners willing to make j the switch, and most of them were. Stagehand, a sensational winner of the J Santa Anita Handicap and Derby, and : future book favorite for the Kentucky : Derby, is now being booked for 1950. Root "] has constructed a brand new stall for : Stagehand during his convalescence. He ! has installed, to the best of our knowledge, the first air conditioning unit in any stal- ; lion barn in the West. A radio has been j installed, and is kept tuned to soft swing , music which Stagehand seems to enjoy, i Root, who operates under the name of Robin Hill Farm, is one of Californias 1 youngest major breeders. He was a stock J broker before the war, joined the air force, . and came out a bit the worse for wear fol- ] lowing a service-incurred illness. He took up racing and breeding as an outdoor business after his doctors had advised against returning to the indoor stock brokerage business. He operates Robin Hill along "Kentucky Lines," having put in as many time-tested Blue Grass ideas as possible following an extensive inspection tour of Fayette and Bourbon County Farms two years ago. AAA Riverside breeder Henry Aldrich of the Walkinay Farm, opines as how one can never tell about horses. Aldrich stands Jean Bart at his acreage for a fee of 00. He has been using a colt named Ariel John, a son of Ariel — Avengence, by Macaw, as a teaser. The speed breeding of Ariel John, coupled with good conformation, came to the attention of Arizona and Texas quarter horse people and Ariel John has been made available as a quarter horse stud at 50 per service. As requests for bookings pour in for the 1950 season Aldrich believes that Ariel John will earn far more next year in fees than Jean Bart. Ariel John was acquired in Kentucky for a mere 00. An injury precluded his training and racing. After the 1950 season, Ariel John probably will be shipped to Arizona to be closer to the "market." Either that, or the horse will be vanned to Arizona and Texas points during the breeding season. It sounds fantastic that a stud should travel, but Aldrich points out that just because it may never have been done before is no reason that it wouldt work out successfully. At least, he is willing to give the idea a try.
