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BETWEEN RACES *y 0SCAR °™ ARCADIA, Calif., June 14.— Announcement -tnat the Western Harness Association would be able to race its fall meeting at Hollywood Park, as scheduled, squelched, and rather conclusively, the round of rumors in southern California that Hollywood Park would not be rebuilt. The harness uaiucoo people, iJCupic, ui of course, uuuiae, will Will uaiucoo people, iJCupic, ui course, uuuiae, will Will get along as best they can with some makeshift facilities. But one major segment of the grandstand will be rebuilt by the time the trotters and pacers are ready for V their appointed rounds come October 8. Willard Keith, treasurer of Hollywood Park, informs that Hollywood Park was adequately insured for rebuilding, that a contract was in the immediate offing for demolition work in the Hollywood Park ruins, a contract calling for such work to be completed by September 1. In addition to the regular fire insurance, the track was insured for 00,000 to compensate for extra cost in the event of a transfer to Santa Anita, an eventuality which came to pass. It is understood that the upper deck of the clubhouse is doubtful of reconstruction by the time the regular Hollywood Park meeting opens next summer, but the main area will be refurbished more lavishly than before. The upper reaches of the clubhouse are not considered as vital, and can wait another year. This will come as good news to the City of Inglewood, hard pressed for revenues with the loss of the Hollywood Park meeting this summer. A A* A , Times in racing are changing. Not many years ago, Hollywood Park Building Program Revealed Horse Branded Wobbler Gets Day in Court Injured Apprentices Get Break in the West Holly Park Stable Closing Upsets Breeders an order of the stewards was accepted as final, but in recent years it seems that most every ruling made is challenged by the affected parties before the racing board. A case in point is the horse Rhoten,. barred from racing by the Hollywood Park steward as a wobbler and dangerous to racing. Owner Albert Rimpau has challenged this assertion and has been given a "show cause" order by the board to appear at the next meeting and present his proof that Rhoten is, indeed, not a wobbler, or, if he is, that the ailment is not severe enough to make him a danger to himself and others. So many people have asked the definition of a "wobbler" that, perhaps, an explanation is in order. Dr. L. J. Cook defines a wobbler as a horse who lacks coordination, especially in the hind legs, and determines the cause as a nerve pressure, usually in the neck. There are all degrees of the ailment, ranging from an occasional bobble to an almost complete lack of coordination. We cant say that we blame owner Rimpau for being rather upset in the manner in which Rhoten was tabbed by the steward, although, if he is a wobbler, he most certainly should be barred. Rhoten was not withdrawn until he was on his way to the post. If the horse was, in fact, dangerous, it would seem he should have been stopped long before he stepped on to the strip en route to the gate. AAA Wtihout any formal ruling or public announcement, the California Horse Racing Board has adopted a policy quite popular in the East of granting an apprentice jockey an extension of time for the five-pound allowance when a rider becomes incapacitated through injury. The policy came to light at the recent meeting of the commission, which approved a recommendation of the stewards that Sevio Cardiali be granted an extension of "bug time" by reason of the fact that the boy had sustained four broken ribs in a recent spill here. "A precedent was set in this instance jiuring the war years," explained Loyd Wright, board chairman, "and we think it is quitexas proper to grant an apprentice additional time to compensate for time lost through injury as for military service." Wright added that the board had no formal procedure in such matters, but would .determine each case on individual merit and circumstances. AAA The California breeders are in a bit of a dither over the unfortunate situation prevailing in the Southland, namely, the closing of the Hollywood Park stable area and training track to equine activities. James G. Jackson, registrar of the breeders association, is emphatic that southern California must have a suitable area to break and train yearling stock. In case no such an area is available, he believes the forthcoming sale of the Cali- Continued on Page Twenty-Ninand i BETWEEN RACES By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Thirty -Six fornia Breeders Association will -be what might be termed a "flop monumental in its fall." Hollywood Park and Santa Anita have had a reciprocal agreement for the last few years, said agreement calling for each track to remain open for six months a year. Thus one of the two tracks always has been maintained and kept available for just this purpose. The arrangement has worked to the benefit of both breeder and yearling buyer. It is probable that a conference between the interested parties will be able to provide a solution. If not, the racing board has promised it will take arbitrary action, inasmuch as Loyd Wright, board chairman, has placed himself on record that a training grounds is an absolute necessity for the preservation of the breeding industry in the South. No such problem exists in the northern part of the state, where the Pleasanton mile strip is maintined the year round for the benefit of horsemen. Hollywood Parks reason for closing its training facilities is one of economy. Vice-president and general manager Jack F. Mackenzie cited figures to show it costs the club ,000 per month to maintain these facilities for horsemen. Union contracts preclude any real cut from this figure. If there are two gatemen, for instance, there must be a gate captain, and if so many men work the harrows, there must be a foreman, etc., at top wages. AAA Del Mar will not carry program selections, as reported in some quarters, but the morning line will be listed, a new departure for a California race course. Del Mar, incidentally, has completed an expansive recreation room for the backstretch population quite as well appointed as anything in the nation. The Del Mar races used to go to the post as late as 3 oclock for the first dash, but this has been changed to 1:30 by order of Jay Paley. Seems business is much better with an earlier post than the later, as proven by an experiment at the Surf and Turf Club last summer. Seems like a lot of people do like to get home for dinner early. The switch is expected to be especially popular with the Los Angeles patrons, who, this coming summer, will have an opportunity to come by charter bus as well as special train. An elaborate bus network is in the .offing for Del Mar, the value of which was dramatically demonstrated by Caliente, who pioneered in this field. .
