Between Races: Del Mar Inaugurates Surf and Turf Dances Wayabout Considered as Broodmare of Year Santa Anita Park a Major Sponsor of Hospitals Jane Stevens Proves Herself a Real Trainer, Daily Racing Form, 1951-06-21

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BETWEEN RACES * osc« om HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 20. — Horses and People: Del Mar has usually been dedicated to the proposition that racing should be fun as well as more or less determined assaults upon the "tote" windows, hence it is not surprising to learn that the "surf and turf course" will will inaugurate inaugurate a a series series of of nightly nightly will will inaugurate inaugurate a a series series of of nightly nightly dinner dances and buffet suppers in its turf club. Demand of the membership for such pleasant social events was voiced to the management, which acceded . . . Incidentally, Del Mars racing strip should be in far better condition this year than last if only for the reason there is no preseason trotting on the strip... On Trust, slated for a comeback at the racing wars this fall, is rated by trainer Willie Molter as a horse of iron. He started 84 times and has earned 51,870, a record for a California-bred, yet he has never been fired, or even given a blister of consequence. Molter thinks he has some sort of a chance to earn important money this fall and next winter if only for the reason that he will be fresh and meeting horses, many of whom will be a bit jaded by reason of long campaigning. AAA We learn that Wayabout, dam of Thataway, clever winner of the Hollywood Lassie Stakes, is under consideration in Kentucky for "Broodmare of the Year" honors. Wayabout, an elderly mare, is by Fair Play, and was foaled in 1929. Shes been barren only twice in the last 19 years and has produced, among other good winners, Sickletoy, a stakes winner and sire of Sickles Image; Appian Way, a good broodmare; Whiff enpoof, a stakes winner by Bull Dog, and, of course, Thataway. Wayabout is at Elmendorf, and Lou Doherty advises that he is Del Mar Inaugurates Surf and Turf Dances Wayabout Considered as Broodmare of Year Santa Anita Park a Major Sponsor of Hospitals Jane Stevens Proves Herself a Real Trainer keeping her to breed and hoping for fillies which, in turn, will be developed and then returned to enrich the Elmendorf distaff . . Santa Anita is centering its charity program upon hospital building. The Los Angeles turf built and equipped a 30-bed institution at Lake Arrowhead the other day, in addition to having made liberal contributions to hospitals in the Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Francisco areas . . . One-half of the city of Arcadias admission taxes, which last year amounted to 96,439, are earmarked to build a new community hospital in that city. . Lou Shapiro, executive head of Western Harness Association, is endeavoring to borrow as many ideas from thoroughbred racing as he can to improve the plane of the sulky sport. He will offer added money stakes this fall, insuring that the horsemen get back all the money they put up and, moreover, he is reducing nomination and starting fees to a mere 2 per cent of the purse. In some places, this fee has run as high as 10 per cent, and said fee has not been returned to the horsemen. AAA Jockeys given suspensions at Hollywood Park have adopted what amounts to a set routine. They hike off to Ensenada, some 70 miles below the border in Mexico, on the coast of Baja, Calif., and go yellowtail fishing. . . Harry Warner is cutting his thoroughbred holdings considerably, but he was overexpanded and wants to get onto a firmer basis. He is not, as some have inferred. abandoning breeding. He has six stallions, wants to keep but two, but inasmuch as he thinks quite a bit of all six, he is not particular which two. The sextet is comprised of Stronghold, W. L. Sickle, Stepfather, Battant, Man-ganeo and Larks Agent . .Walter H. Hoffman, Jr., president of the California Breeders Association, is flatly on record against a law passed by the California legislature which would permit the tossing off race track premises, on little more than the whim of most anyone. The law, we understand, includes moochers as well as touts. "The rights of the race patrons should always be subject to judicial review," comments Hoffman, "and the law as passed permits too much concentration of power, which could conceivably be abused." AAA Pat Kelly, one-time Jockey Guild executive, is settling in Phoenix, and will join the staff of James Herbuveaux, general manager of the small but natty and forward thinking track named Arizona Downs. . Dont get the idea that because Jane Stevens is young 18 and very photogenic, that her licensing as a trainer at Caliente was a publicity stunt. The gal passed all tests posed by the stewards, and they were rugged, with a score of about 100 per cent. She literally grew up on a race track with her father, former rider Freddie Stevens, and who, for the last 20 years, has been one of the Coasts better trainers. As long ago as 1932, Stevens hit the public eye as a trainer when he saddled Nanamay, a winner at Tan-foran, for a return of 302 to 1, the ninth largest pay-off in American racing history. Miss Stevens has had the knack of absorbing knowledge and wisdom imparted by her able tather, and we dare say she has something of a future as a trainer. We talked to her last Sunday at the border course and found her intelligent and educated Continued on Page Thirty-Eight % BETWEEN RACES By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Forty-Eight and quite as adept at judging conformation and in analysis of races. AAA Just for the records, Bill Buck, vice-president of the California division of the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association, refused a demand of Vancouver, British Columbia, HBPA "leaders," that he retract a statement carried in this column several days ago in which Buck criticized the "leadership" up north in their demands on management. "I dont think your demands are fair," Buck advised them, "and as long as they are not reasonable, we cannot condone them". . .This department, incidentally, will continue to point out anti-American practices as well as anti-Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba as long as HBPA members from Vancouver continue to bring their stables into California and Arizona during fall, winter and summer, and race for American dollars and accept the hospitality of the States . . . Along this line, it might be mentioned that the writer is a Californian, but has never gone along with the theory that California owners should be given stalls at the track in the state, major or minor, unless their horses were worthy of stall space. The reason for this is entirely practical, i.e., the pretty well proven theory that racing and breeding cannot be improved by placing artificial barriers which put a premium upon mediocrity. A consequent cheapening of the sport itself reflects in lack of public confidence and support. It all adds up to simply shortsightedness and eventual harm of both racing and breeding. . .Incidentally, this issue was red hot in California about 10 years ago, was settled the right way, and proven right. "Hence it is strange that there is some agitation in New Jersey to give stall preference to Jerseyites. The Illinois legislature is even pondering an exclusion bill, although the state breeders and racing board are officially on record as opposing such legislation as detrimental to breeding and racing."


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800