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Board Requests Sport Be Resumed First Glance Outsprints Battlefield Holds It Has Power To Act in Dispute DisputeDeclares Declares Public Interest Is Involved in Horsemen Strike StrikeAt At Sportsmans Park Course Coursei i The Illinois Racing Board yesterday aft ¬ ernoon in a sixparagraph report of its findings in the current purse dispute be ¬ tween members of the Horsemens Bene ¬ volent and Protective Association and the Sportsmans Park management requested that racing activities be resumed immedi ¬ ately atelyFollowing Following a lengthy hearing yesterday morning the board went into executive session and late in the afternoon held that it had power to act in the matter under Section 18 sub paragraph 1 of the Illinois Rules of Racing It held that public in ¬ terest is involved because of great and continuing loss of revenue to the state and went on to say that actions have been taken which are detrimental to the best interests of racing racingIn In concluding the board stated that if necessary a further hearing will be sched ¬ uled after notice inquiring into possible violation of Section 18 with consequent disciplinary action based on the findings findingsAt At Odds on Purse Distribution DistributionSportsmans Sportsmans Park had petitioned the board to act in the matter and yesterday mornings meeting was called for that pur ¬ pose The HBPA and Sportsmans Park president William H Johnston have been at odds on purse distribution The HBPA is asking that one half of the tracks share of the mutuel handle and breakage be di ¬ verted to purse distribution Johnston and his associates have held that in that they have raised purses 4200 daily over the minimum of f6600 listed on the stall ac ¬ ceptance card that they have dealth fair lywith the horsemen horsemenThe The boards findings were released late yesterday afternoon and what reaction the horsemen will make could not be de ¬ termined The Sportsmans Park racing secretarys office has been kept open daily during the strike which now has seen the track dark Monday and Tuesday TuesdayFollowing Following are the findings of the Illi ¬ nois Racing Board in the matter 1 The Illinois Racing Board has been given the power to act in the situation in ¬ volving a cessation of racing activities un ¬ der Section 18 subsection 1 of the 1952 Illinois Rules and Regulations of Horse Racing 2 The public interest is involved be ¬ cause of great and continuing loss of rev ¬ enue to the state including the Service Recognition Bond Interest and Retirement Fund in the State Treasury the Agricul AgriculContinued Continued on Page Three DANNY SHEA Owner of Sweet Ver ¬ mouth winner of the sixth race yester ¬ day at the Garden State Park course Illinois Board Requests Racing Be Resumed Here Immediately Declares Public Interest Is Involved in Horsemen Strike At Sportsmans Park Course CourseContinued Continued from Page One Onetural tural Premium Fund which includes cer ¬ tain sums for the purpose of assisting in the care and general rehabilitation of dis ¬ abled veterans of any war and their widows and orphans 3 The Illinois Racing Board is of the opinion that actions have been taken which are detrimental to the best interests of racing 4 The Illinois Racing Board is of the further opinion that continuation of such actions will greatly harm the states rev ¬ enue to the detrinunt of the public in ¬ terest 5 It is requested therefore by the Illi ¬ nois Racing Board that racing activities be resumed immediately 6 If necessary a further hearing will be scheduled after notice inquiring into possible violation of Section 18 with con ¬ sequent disciplinary action based on the findings findingsTrack Track Tepresentatives attending todays hearing in addition to Johnston and Ray Bennigsen the latter secretary of the Na ¬ tional Jockey Club were Charles Aaron vicepresident and counsel of the Lincoln Fields Racing Association Robert F Carey managing director of Hawthorne and Graham Smith vicepresident of the Arlington Park Jockey Club ClubMartin Martin McNally represented Sportsmans Park and Johnston as counsel while Louis H Vogel served in the same capacity for the HBPA and the horsemen individually individuallyAt At the outset of the session chairman Stuyvesant Peabody Jr informed the gathering that the board really had no jurisdiction in setting purse schedules that all it was empowered to do was to see to it that a daily average of 6800 per day be distributed in purses in racing centers with a population of 250000 or more and 4500 for those less than that figure Of course all tracks distribution for years has exceeded those minimums minimumsHBPA HBPA Attorney Protests Procedure ProcedureVogel Vogel protested as to the procedure of the hearing and McNally retorted that as an interested party Sportsmans Park had a right to ask a hearing on their peti ¬ tion McNally contended that inasmuch as the horsemen had signed a stall acceptance card wherein it was stated that the mini ¬ mum purse distribution would be 16600 and a minimum purse of 2000 for the meeting they had violated their agreement or engagement and thus were in violation of Section IB of the rules and regulations of the Illinois Racing Board BoardMcNally McNally contended that by signing the card 165 of which he offered in evidence the IwrSenlgli ad entered into a contract with the National Jockey Club and that by refusinc to enter their horsesfor either Monday or Tuesdays racing they were in violation of that rule He asked in the name of the National Jockey Club that the board instruct the horsemen that they had violated that rule ruleVogel Vogel asked for a continuance until to ¬ morrow to prepare an answer to the peti ¬ tion but that was denied by the board on the grounds that the cessation of racing was a serious matter Vogel argued that the signing of the stall acceptance card did not constitute a contract and that it didnt obligate horsemen to enter a horse or horses on any one particular day dayThe The board agreed to permit Vogel to file an answer to the petition tomorrow but ruled that the hearing would be continued today nevertheless Joseph Solari attorney for the board said that all were aware of the matter in that the horsemen had served as sevenday notice on the board as well as Sportsmans Park Solari also held that it was a question of jeopardizing the revenue the state receives from racing racingMisguided Misguided by a Few FewMcNally McNally continued in presenting his petition and stated that the rights of the National Jockey Club of public interest and of the state were being flaunted by a few who caused the strike He went on to say that the horsemen knew months ahead of time of the conditions they would have at Sportsmans but that they were mis ¬ guided by a few to take drastic action actionMcNally McNally concluded by saying that since the purse distribution at Sportsmans had fa exceeded the minimum as stated in the stall acceptance card the horsemen were in violation of Section 18 which was bind ¬ ing on them themIn In his summation Vogel said he didnt agree that the states interests were vio ¬ lated and if they were the Racing Board should have taken the initiative in the matter matterThe The Board asked Harold Hoffman sec ¬ retarytreasurer of the HBPA and himself an owner trainer to give his views Hoff man said that he had 11 horses starting for him during the 12 days of the meeting and that he believed he had lived up to his agreement agreementWilliam William Hal Bishop leading trainer on the Illinois circuit for several years and who has one of the largest strings at tl e halfmiler also was asked to take to the stand Bishop said that he normally starts from two to seven horses a day He said that he was a member of the HBPA and when asked why he didnt enter his horses he said that he would rather not due to the circumstances and cause trouble but would rather ship out Bishop said that the horsemens expenses had risen consid ¬ erably He was asked whether he had sus ¬ tained a serious loss in running his stable and he replied no Board member Frank Warton asked Bishop Has the National Jockey Club been unfair to you Bishop replied no and went on to say that he thought the strike could be settled and settled shortly shortlyKohout Kohout Takes Stand StandKohout Kohout vicepresident of the local HBPA division was asked by the board if he didnt wish to be heard Kohout accepted the invitation and described the workings of the HBPA how there is a vicepresident and 10 members of an executive committee in each division He took exception to the use of several phrases in the petition of Sportsmans Park in particular referring to his body as an alleged organization and the socalled executive committee He said that since some members of the executive committee of the central division are not racing in Illinois others have been substituted in their places placesKohout Kohout reviewed the events leading up to the meeting of horsemen at which by a vote of 106 to 0 the HBPA membership voted to back its vicepresident and com ¬ mittee Kohout said that he didnt act on his own account but was guided by the wishes of his organization and the execu ¬ tive committee committeeSolari Solari asked Kohout about the agree ¬ ment on purses which Johnston stated was made with members of the HBPA in Flor ¬ ida last winter Kohout said he wasnt consulted in the matter and the three Johnston talked to were Harold Simmons Clyde Troutt and Paul Kelley These com ¬ mittee members are not racing at Sports ¬ mans now Kohout said he was unable to contact Troutt or Kelley but that Simmons said he didnt enter into an agreement on purses when they discussed the matter with Johnston Kohout concluded by saying that they were willing to discuss a fair purse for ¬ mula at any time BALTIMORE Md May 6 The follow ¬ ing telegram was sent by Alfred C Paul vicepresident of the Maryland West Vir ¬ ginia division of the HBPA to Joseph Ko ¬ hout vicepresident of tihe Illinois division of the HBPA HBPAIllinois Illinois division of the HBPA HBPACare Care Mr H C Hoffman 205 Washington Boulevard BoulevardOak Oak Park 111 111The The directors of the MarylandDela ¬ wareWest Virginia division of the HBPA in meeting on Monday May 5th desire to express to the directors and members of the Illinois division their confidence in the justness of their demands for increased purse distribution at Sportsmans Park ParkWe We are convinced that the recognized organization of thoroughbred owners and trainers the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association is entitled to meet with representatives of management to effectuate fair and equitable distribution distributionSigned Signed Alfred C Paul vicepresident MarylandWest VirginiaDelaware HBPA
