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BETWEEN RACES By Oscar Otis HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., May 30. Elmendorf more or less marked time during the possession of the property by Tinkham Veale and Sam Costello of Cleveland, hence it came as no real surprise several weeks ago when it was announced that the historic acreage on the Paris Pike near Lexington had been sold to Max Gluck of New York. If Elmendorf could be faulted, its weakness lies in the fact that some of the good broodmares had been sold during the last "few years because of a plan, and while that plan does not concern us, its net effect was to cut down the size of the Elmendorf operation. We imagine that everyone in American breeding circles and in Kentucky in particular will be happy to learn that Gluck has ordered a reversal of this policy, and is determined to build up Elmendorf, in a bloodline way, to be one of the foremost in the world. The first move in this direction was made last week with the purchase, for Elmendorfs interest by general manager Lou Doherty, of four mares, one yearling, and two foals from Abe Hewitt. All four won stakes each year they raced, a guide to their class. These mares cost a pretty penny, and when informed of the price, Gluck responded, "thats fine, Lou, you know where we want to go, and dont let a little item like money stand in your way." This attitude bespeaks a scouring of the worlds markets for more broodmares of top quality, and we dare say that great things are in store for Elmendorf in the immediate years ahead. A A A The mares are somewhat notable. Gold Skies, a daughter of Blue Skies, was the winner of 4,209,925 francs in France, and in earning this sum won at distances from five furlongs to a mile and a half, mostly under high weight. At four, for instance, she won the Prix Dastarte at a mile with 132 pounds, the Prix Damphitrite at a mile and one half with 138 pounds. Nuit de Folies, a daughter of Tourbillions son, Tornado, won 2;454,600 francs, including, at three the Prix de Minerve at Longchamp, about one mile and three furlongs. Passe Rue, a daughter of another of Tourbillions sons, Micipsa, de"adheated for win with Val Flueri in the Prix Canot at a mile and one half. The fourth mare, Kannabis, is by Phideas, was winner of the Cleveland Plate under 125 Bounds at two, was second in the Elmendorf Buys New Broodmares Gluck Starting New Foundation Historic San Ysidro Farm Sold Coast Breeding Sites Change Rosebery Plate at a mile, carrying 126 pounds to the winners Carnival Boy 129 pounds. Acquisition of these mares by Elmendorf puts Abe Hewitt out of business, at least temporarily, for the second time. A few years ago, Doherty bought out Hewitt lock, stock and barrel, later sold much of the stock acquired at public vendue, although keeping certain mares, plus a half interest in Phalanx and an entire interest in Rustom Sirdar. Incidentally, Dohertys original plan for Veale and Costello, to prove up Elmendorf breeding in three sectors, the East, Middle West, and California, is being embraced by Gluck. The three divisions are now a reality and Doherty will visit at Hollywood Park the last two weeks of the meeting to inspect the coastal division under the care of Charlie Whitting-ham. But the present stable is just a forerunner of things to come. We believe the revelation of the Gluck plan is one of the most important bits of- bloodstock news to hit the country in some time. AAA Another California landmark has disappeared from the turf scene with the news that the Charlie Howard Ranch at an Ysidro has been sold to truck farming interests. The barns are being taken down to make way for row crops, and the Howard estate stock lias been moved. Most of the -Howard mares are in Kentucky at Charlie Kenneys Springside Farm, as is the stallion, Noor. Nathoo, we understand, may join him there in time to make the 1953 breeding season. While San Ysidro was just one of three Howard farms, the others being at Willits and Merced, it housed, in its day, some of the most notable of American thoroughbreds. The 176-acre place was built in the early twenties by Marvin Alle, was improved upon by the late Jack P. Atkin, and upon the latters death was purchased by Howard. While used primarily as a "rest farm," the San Ysidro property did see some breeding activity, Noor making his first season at stud there. At the time of Howards death, some 19 pensioners, were on the property, a record number of pensioners so far as we can determine. A A A The L. B. Mayer ranch at Perils passed out of thoroughbred activity a couple of years ago and became the property of the Mormon church. The Howard San Ysidro ranch is admirably suited for row crops, one reason it was so excellent as a recuperative pasture. Much of the area lies in the bed of the Tijuana River as it flows from Mexico a few short miles through the United States to the ocean. The Willits farm was sold about a year ago, and is now devoted exclusively to cattle. That farm embraced some 27,000 acres, much of it wooded. AAA . This writer looks for many more major changes to be, made in the California breeding picture within the next decade, and the break-up of the Howard and Mayer empires is just a forerunner,. It seems to me that a trend toward Riverside County as the center of thoroughbred activity is in the making, and it is apparent that the San Fernando, Valley, as fine a thoroughbred area as it is, cannot hold out indefinitely against the inroads of the sub-dividers. Most acreages in the valley, even as far out as Canoga Park, are currently valued at from ,000 to ,000 per acre for building sites, and most every owner in the valley has a standing offer to sell for subdivision purposes. One might-ask, can one breed economically at that value, and the answer is yes. Most of the breeders in the valley have been there a long time, and the population has come to their respective areas. They have merely been sitting still watching their land increase in value as the new people came. It is too costly, however, to establish new farms of consequence, hence the turn toward Riverside County, where there is still a lot of open space. There is one alternative for the San Fernando Valley breeders, and that is to move over the range of mountains which marks the northern end of the valley and flourish in Ventura County. The only complication to an orderly and planned "center of breeding" in Southern California lies in the water problem. Some areas have it, others do not. If it were not for this, a second Fayette County vould undoubtedly be fashioned, where, most farms and most mares would be within easy van. range of one another. Many are today, in point of mileage, but vans from Riverside Counf v going to the upper reaches of the San Fernando Valley have about 50 miles of stop and go driving. Whatever the answer may be, a change is in the offing Most old-timers hate to see the San Ysidro Ranch abandoned to vegetables, but perhaps in the long run it represents progress.
