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BETWEEN RACES * °™ HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 18. — Santa Anitas stake schedule for next winter marks a radical departure from its past policy and most horsemen are of the opinion that the changes are for the better. Instead of 12 stakes during the 50-day meeting, none of a value of less than 0,000 added, a total of 29 will be determined, with added money aggregating a new all time high for the course, 85,000, and ranging in value from the three 00,000 classics, the Handicap, Derby and Maturity, which remain intact, down to a flock of 5,000, 0,000 and 5,000. The overnight purses also will be more critically graded, with the track • offering more money for the better horses. The minimum for two races a day will drop to ,500, but the money so "saved" will be used to enrich purses of the better calibre of race, and the condition book will have at least one race a day with a purse of ,500. It seems rather hard to fault a stakes program which has a 0,000 stake or more every week-end, but the new way of distributing the money should make for better racing. The big stakes program had one major defect, namely, that a horse had to be at his peak on a given day or else miss much of his earning opportunity. The new schedule, in general, gives a horse as much opportunity at one part of the meeting as another, and a thoroughbred who might not hit his peak until late in the season will not be eliminated at a chance for important money. The Los Angeles turf club has wisely retained its three richest features unchanged, knowing full well that these 00,000 races are its "leaders" with the Southern California racing public. The Santa Anita Haridicap, Maturity and Derby * each year stimulate widespread interest and have come Dr. Strub Announces Richest Stake Program New Distribution Policy for Next Winter Breeders Catalogue 126 Sales Yearlings Col. Koester Rates Crop Best in History to be really traditional in this part of the country even though they are not ancient in number of renewals. AAA Santa Anita has de-emphasized its program for California foals, offering only 0,000 in added money for homebreds as against 00,000 in previous years. The number of stakes with area limitations have been doubled from two to four. The Breeders Champion Stakes, first Saturday feature for two-year-olds, and the goal of every California mate and stallion owner, has been halved in value to 5,000. The same applies to the Santa Cata-lina Handicap. The new homebred features are the Santa Barbara, 5,000 added for three-year-old fillies, and the San Luis Rey, also 5,000 added, for three-year-olds of both sexes. It also is noteworthy that for the first time in many years, Santa Anita is offering stakes for true sprinters, i.e., horses whose best distance is six fiu longs. In almost all previous years, since the Santa Anita stakes program took on national stature, a horse had to trayel at least seven furlongs to try for the big money. Some people have the idea that California tracks have overlooked a point in not developing sprints as a drawing attraction at the gate. It is argued that catering to sprinters doeand little to improve the breed, but good sprinters have often become public idols, if given the opportunity. We recall one season at Santa Anita when Speed to Spare, Leading Article, and others of equal ability engaged in arguments through much of the winter, and they became minor sensations, and would have been the best gate attractions of the entire program had not their races been overshadowed by the rich stakes given to route horses who in this instance lacked the sheer quality of these speed balls. And to say that sprinters cannot become popular would be to overlook the acclaim given such as Osmond, Sation, Polynesian, Myrtlewood, Clang, and, in later years out this way, Fair Truckle, Three Bars, and Bolero. AAA The California breeders have announced a total of 126 horses to be sold in the nations first important vendue of -the year come Monday and Tuesday evenings, July 16 and 17, at the Santa Anita track. Allowing for mishaps or sickness which might necessitate a withdrawal, it is presumed about 120 yearlings actually will be sold. All yearlings will be on the grounds adjacent to the sales ring and available for public inspection the preceding Saturday and Sunday. The sale has been shortened to two sessions instead of three with the withdrawal of the consignment of the estate of Charles S. Howard. Legal complications jn connection with the settlement of the estate forced a postponement, and it is understood the Howard yearlings will either be consigned in the fall miscellany sale of the breeders, or offered at a special auction in. October. The Howard stable had 42 nominated and until their withdrawal, it had been planned to sell about 60 horses on the third and final evening of the vendue. When shortened to only two nights, another 20 yearlings had to be eliminated from the already well culled yearlings approved by the breeders representative in such matters, Col. F. W. Koester, retired U. S. Army Remount officer. The 20 eliminated already had passed Continued on Page Thirty-Nine BETWEEN RACES By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Forty-Eight their "physicals" to the Colonels satisfaction, so the determination as to which should be barred was made on pedigree. A A A . "This second weeding out will make this sale the most selective in the history of California breeding," says Colonel Koester. "And Im not stretching a point when I say that this years crop is the finest I have ever seen in this state. I have spent the last two months inspecting California farms and the "yearlings destined for the market, and I am firmly convinced that the improvement of the breed Is no idle phrase. Many of the yearlings earmarked for the sale are the equal of those to be found anywhere. And equally important, I have noticed a marked improvement in the standards of maintenance and care on some California farms. This evidence of more professional know how and the addition of new and vigorous blood lines is one reason that the present crop far overshadows those of previous years, and I say this knowing that in past years some excellent thoroughbreds have been, produced." AAA Hal Ramser, who virtually commutes between California and Lexington, Ky., echoes the same thoughts when he says, "Its a vintage year in both Kentucky and California, and, frankly," I believe that Cali-fornians can be quite proud of their crop. There is a definite evidence of more quality in both the sales* and yearlings retained by breeders to replenish their own racing stables. Ive been a keen observer of breeding in both areas for several years, and looking at many Califonia yearlings, I can see an unmistakable trend toward the production of a finer type." Incidentally, last years* auctions "were launched by a pre-sales dinner and get-together, and this social event proved so popular that another dinner will be staged this year. It is scheduled for Sunday, night, July 14, at George Woolfs Derby Inn, Arcadia.
